Hey y'all!

I'm so grateful and excited to share that I've been accepted into Boston Ballet School's summer intensive program, and as a company I've been inspired by for so many years, I'm so thrilled to commit to their instruction this summer!

Many of you know my journey, but since concentrating on ballet at age 14 I've really committed myself every day of every year to catching up by training at Ballet Austin Academy year-round, Master Ballet Summer Intensive, and San Francisco Ballet School's Summer Intensive. For this 2025/2026 season, I was able to move to Pittsburgh to dance in Pittsburgh Ballet Theater's Graduate program and continue on my path toward a professional career. I currently work full-time at a restaurant job after my ballet schedule, 5-6 times a week (about 35 to 40 hours) to help sustain living on my own since graduating and moving from home. Throughout the years, I've been able to cover a lot of my additional endeavors through income from my jobs, and here in Pittsburgh, I've been committed to supporting all my tuition, rent, and other expenses, but the unfortunate reality is that a lot of these programs in the ballet industry come with a significant expense.

This summer feels particularly important to me as it might be one of the last summer programs I'm able to train in and commit to before transitioning into being a contracted dancer. These summer programs are not just classes but are where dancers are seen, evaluated, networked with, and given opportunities for the next stage of their careers, and before I make that next step, I hope to continue to deepen a meticulous technical and artistic base.

I'll be applying for financial aid, however, they only cover, if awarded, $400-$1,000 of the $8,000 (3,620 tuition, 3,570 room and board, estimated 800 in pointe shoes and flights) total, so as much as I work diligently in dance and my full-time job, I'm asking for some aid to help me bridge that gap. And please know it's not easy for someone like me to ask for help, I always think I can just put my head down and do the work and do the most, but the reality is that it takes a village, especially to reach higher and higher levels of a career as demanding as ballet.

Any support, whether through donating or sharing the link, means so so so much to me. I don’t take any of it lightly because I know first hand the worth of an small hourly pay and have seen firsthand the struggle my parents have gone through to sustain themselves in this economy. I am so incredibly grateful for the people who believe in me and my journey, so thank you so much for reading thus far, and I appreciate each and everyone of you more than you know.

-xoxo,

Milana Burrow :)