Bolshoi Ballet Dream in Moscow

Hello! My name is Morgan Hastings and I am a Ballerina.  I LOVE ballet because it allows me to discover myself.  It pushes me out of my comfort zone and it empowers me to reach my full
potential.  It is a therapy for me and allows me to embrace the world and face my challenges.   It truly makes me happy.  

Recently I have been presented with an incredible opportunity.  I was one of a few indivduals selected for a 1 year traineeship with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia.  This is a once in a life time opportunity for me to study and train with the most world renowned and established ballet academies.  Most of the Principal Dancers in the Bolshoi Ballet are among the leading dancers in the world today.  This is an experience I would have never imagined possible as there are about 100 dancers in the academy with a very small percentage being American.  It is absolutely a dream come true. 

I am truly humbled by this invitation.  I have been blessed to have received wonderful ballet training from Linda Fenton Dance Studio and endless support from my amazing parents.  I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with this talent and providing me with such a remarkable possibility.  After countless prayers and constant pondering I have come to know that this is part of His plan to enable me to learn and grow as a dancer and as a person.

I have been invited to study in Moscow, Russia from October 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015.  It has been a difficult decision to make, one reason being the extensive expenses.  The invitation does not include any scholarships and financial aid is not offered to international students.  The tuition with room and board will cost approximately $2,700 per month.  In addition, with the intense training, I will go through numerous pointe shoes costing $100 each. There are other expenditures, but these are the primary ones.

This is an amazing opportunity, but it comes at quite a cost.  I am doing everything in my power to earn the money to pay for the trip because it is so important to me.  Unfortunately, it is a challenging task for a girl at age 18 to earn this amount of money in only 2 months.  I would be extremely appreciative of your help to accomplish this aspiration.  Any amount would be greatly valued and treasured.  

Thank you so much for encouraging and supporting this ambition.  It means the world to me! I will forever be grateful for your assistance.