Bolshoi or Bust

My name is Emma Armstrong.  I'm a 17 year old ballet dancer.  I've been invited to a 1 year traineeship at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow.  It's an honor to receive this invitation, as this is arguably one of the best ballet academies in the world. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would receive this recognition. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, like winning the lottery. At any given time, about 100 international students are enrolled at the academy with only 20 Americans enrolled a year ago.  A girl from a small town in West Texas got invited to dance in Moscow!  I believe God opened this door for me and I'm humbled by it.   

The traineeship begins on October 1 and ends June 30.  There are no scholarships for international students.  The cost of tuition, room and board is about $2600 per month.  I estimate that I will also go through 27 pairs of pointe shoes in that time (3 pairs a month)...each pair of pointe shoes costs $100.  There's many other expenses, but they are minimal compared to tuition and shoes.

Being the oldest of 6 in a one income family, finances will prevent me from accepting this invitation.  My parents fully support my going to Moscow, but are unable to finance the training, so they started this page for me.  I'm asking for your help to go to Moscow.  Would you join my cast of supporters by donating* toward my tuition and expenses?  Any amount will be a blessing.

I'll be starting a blog soon to keep everyone updated on this journey.  Thank you for your support.

*Each donation incurs a 5% service fee, so if you'd rather, you can message me for my mailing address.