Help Noah attend the Royal Ballet School, London

Lisa Campbell is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hi! I’m Noah Campbell. I’m 14 years old. I’ve never done a GoFundMe page before. I’m not really sure what to say, but I need your help. I’m a student at the renowned Sarasota Ballet’s Margaret Barbieri Conservatory. After competing in the finals of the Youth America Grand Prix, I was offered a full scholarship to the Royal Ballet School in London. It’s a dream come true, and I received the offer two days after my 14th birthday!

I’m supposed to start there in September, but need to raise about $20,000 for
expenses that are not covered by my scholarship. The truth is, my we don’t have
that kind of money.

We’re not a rich family. For years, my parents have worked hard and made
financial sacrifices so that my sister and I could be classically trained in ballet. Can you help us raise these funds? Your donation will help get me to the Royal
Ballet School. It's an opportunity of a lifetime.

THE BACKSTORY:

I’ve watched my older sister Savannah dance ballet since I was a baby. I’ve loved it from the start. I was three years old when my parents let me take my first ballet
lesson. I think I was 4 or 5 years old when I did my first solo on stage. I did a
tarantella dance with a tambourine and still remember the black and red
streamers on it. My teacher, Mr. Sergey, was all about focus. We would practice
the same thing over and over and over! There was one exercise I had to do using a folding chair. I couldn’t reach the barre, so I had to practice holding on to the side of the folding chair. When I told my Dad, he made a barre for me that was just my size!

Now that I’m older, and feel as though I have learned more, I can actually do (or attempt to do) some of the things that ballet greats have done and are still doing! I have been fortunate to train with some of the best teachers in the USA, most recently Christopher Hird and Dierdre Miles Burger at The Sarasota Ballet’s Margaret Barbieri Conservatory. When I had my growth spurt, I felt like I was dancing in a body that was completely foreign to me. But over the past year, things have gotten much better!

THE COSTS:

The Royal Ballet School has offered me a full scholarship (worth about $50k) to train in the United Kingdom starting in September! I’m so very grateful for this scholarship. The costs that our family has to cover includes:

Legal Guardian in the UK is $3,125 - Because I’m 14 years old, my parents need to set up a legal guardianship for me for the 2021/2022 school year (guardian is
needed for healthcare, any emergencies, etc.).

My visa and healthcare insurance surcharge in the UK are approx. $1,200

I don’t have a laptop but I will need one in the UK for my academics. That’s
approximately $900.

My uniforms are approx. $450.

The biggest need comes in the form of airplane tickets, so I can come home to my family during breaks (I know it will help my homesickness). The average roundtrip cost to London is $1,200. The UK has more breaks than we do here in the USA.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Thank you for reading my story. Please know that my family and I will be grateful for your donation in any amount. I promise that I will do my absolute best to achieve my goal of one day becoming a professional dancer. I will always be grateful to you for supporting me and will invite you to my performances! Thank you for giving me the chance to fulfill my dream. To help get the word out, please share the link to my GoFundMe page to all of your social media Timelines and friends!

The link to my GoFundMe page is: https://gofund.me/6935945b

A MESSAGE FROM MY DAD:

Thank you so much for reading Noah's story. I am
taken aback whenever I see him dance. Noah has such a passion for this art form. Whether he is on stage, in the studio, or just messing around at home, the
love he has for ballet shines through. Noah and his sister used to host full on
dance performances in our living room. At times, they would go on for an hour or more! This one below is one of my favorites.

We knew pretty early on that this was a path for Noah to pursue. And, it really
has been all on him. I’ve always told him that the moment he wanted to stop
dancing he could. That moment never did arrive (and I am so very thankful). My
heart feels so light when I see him dance. I really don’t think that I've ever not
had tears in my eyes when Noah performs.

Right now I am having both good days and bad days when I think about him going off to Royal Ballet School. I’m elated that he has this opportunity, and it is a dream come true for him. I am sure he will shine even more bright as a result of going off to London. At the same time though, my heart is really heavy. This is my little boy. He’s only 14. I can’t imagine not being able to say goodnight to him and shut off his light, or to wake him up in the morning, or to watch him warm up. I know he will be home throughout the year on breaks, and that brings both Lisa and I comfort, but I can’t help but to think that I am sending him away a boy, and that he will return home a professional male ballet dancer at 19. It’s just a lot to take in.

To think this all started years ago with a question. I asked Lisa if it would be alright for Noah to try ballet. He was 3 years old. (at this point his sister Savannah had been dancing for 2 years). So, for about a year and a half, Noah took classes at a local ballet studio in our hometown outside of Chicago. He took right to it - from the first class, he was always asking when the next one would be. We then took him to another studio where Sergey Kozadayev observed Noah in class. He immediately came over to us and said he would like to take on Noah as a private student. Sergey had never worked with a boy this young, but he said he saw something very special in Noah.

We then moved to Florida to pursue more opportunities for both Savannah and Noah, and eventually landed at Sarasota Ballet’s Margaret Barbieri Conservatory. As a father, my heart is filled with so much gratitude to everyone who’s helped Noah over the years, and I am humbled by the families that will help Noah get to the Royal Ballet School now. Saying “thank you” doesn’t even begin to cover what’s in our hearts!

In your debt,
Brian