Help George Achieve His Dream of Becoming a Professional Ballet Dancer!

Dear Friends and Family,

We are reaching out today with a heart full of excitement for our son, George, who has been given the incredible opportunity of a lifetime: a place at a world-renowned vocational ballet school. As many of you know, George has been passionate about dance from a very young age, and now at the age of 11, that passion is leading him closer to his dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer.

George's journey in dance started at just 5 years old, when he fell in love with ballet with he started dancing at Pique School for Performing Arts. His dedication grew quickly, and soon he was adding tap, jazz, and contemporary dance to his repertoire. By the age of 6, George declared that he wanted to be a professional ballet dancer, and since then, he has worked tirelessly towards this goal. Every single day of the week, George practices and trains to improve his skills and pursue his dreams. They have lead to some incredible opportunities already, at the age of 9 he was offered a place in Swan Lake with English Youth Ballet as well as the Paul Watson Bursary at Tring and an online Junior Associate place with the Royal Ballet School. By 10 he was offered an in person place with the Royal Ballet School Junior Associates as well as the opportunity to perform in The Secret Garden with the London Children’s Ballet in the West End and a place in the Royal Academy of Dance awards finals. In May this year he was offered a scholarship to perform in Sleeping Beauty with English Youth Ballet in Portsmouth.

This unwavering commitment has led to an incredible achievement: George has been offered places at both Elmhurst School for Dance and The Royal Ballet School, two of the most prestigious institutions in the world for young dancers. We are thrilled to share that both schools have offered George a place with a scholarship. However, the scholarships are partial, which means there are still significant tuition fees and additional costs to cover, including books, uniforms, transport, and extracurricular activities.

To give a bit more (boring) detail on the scholarship, this is means tested by the government with funding provided as part of the MDS scheme. This means that any funding given is dependent on our current income. However, this year there will be an uplift following the government’s VAT changes to private and vocational school fees. Unfortunately this does not mean an increase in the funding we receive, but an increase in cost for us as parents, now totalling just under £20k per year.

As parents, we have been saving for the last few years to ensure that George has the best opportunities to pursue his dreams. However, the financial burden of sending him to a world-class school is significant, and it will have a huge impact on our personal lives and that of his little sister.

This is where we are hoping for your support. If you are able to contribute anything, no matter how small, towards George’s education and dream, we would be forever grateful. Your kindness and generosity will help make this dream a reality for George, allowing him to continue his journey in dance and ultimately work towards becoming the professional ballet dancer he has always dreamed of.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about George’s journey and for any support you are able to offer. We are beyond proud of all he has accomplished, and we are excited for the next chapter in his ballet career at The Royal Ballet School, as this is where George has decided to go.

With sincere thanks and gratitude,

Annelies & Dave