Hi,

My name is Aidan Robbins and for those of you who don't know, I am a Freshman Contemporary Dance Major at Boston Conservatory and I am looking to be able to further my training this summer. Before I talk about my story and the significance of this program, I'd like to clarify why I am in need of financial support, what I am doing to help with the funds, and what I will do with the donations received.

As a college student, it is obvious that money is tight. I also have another sibling entering college next year and a third sibling in sports and dance year-round. With that said, it is impossible for my parents to support all of our extracurricular acivites. This summer I plan to work 2 jobs when I am not attending the ZeitGeist Program and my mom is also working a second job in order to help with the financial strain of the upcoming years. The program is a wonderful opportunity that I would hate to turn down because of financial constraints.

My goal is to raise $4,100. In short, I am hoping to allocate the funds as stated below: $2950 for tuition and lodging

$800 for airfare (the program is in Santa Fe, NM)

$350 for food.

I am starting this gofundme because without outside help, I will have to take out a loan and with much debt on the horizon already, I am trying to avoid doing that.

Learn more about me and the program:

I have danced since I was 3 and when I was 11, I truly fell in love with contemporary dance. Up until I was 16, I trained in my hometown (DE) at Tatiana Afinfieva Dance Academy. I trained in ballet, contemporary, pointe, jazz, tap, and musical theater. From 16-18, I furthered my training in those styles and more at Kanyok Arts Initiative in New York City. Now, I am in my second Semester as a Contemporary Dance Major and I couldn't be happier. Right now, I am working to further my choreography skills, blending the line between my interests as a dancer and human in everyday life, and introducing advocation for topics that I care about into my dancing. Training with ZeitGeist is crucial to continuing this exploration.

Dancing over the summer is extremely important for me to see what the professional world is like, improve my technique, and meet people that I can network with in the future. This program is truly unique. In their own words, "Through this uniquely curated experience, dancers discover a stronger sense of self and develop an understanding of the distinct philosophy and approach of ZDT. Dancers selected to be Zeitgeist Trainees are offered an immersive company experience encompassing both training and performance designed to play a significant role in their preparation for a future professional performance career." It is clear that this program would be an incredible opportunity that would help me prepare for the career I will continue to work extremely hard for.