Let's turn Roy's dream into reality #1dollar1step

A few months before COVID-19 struck, I met Roy Ilagou, a young dancer from Gabon who was performing with his teenage students at Sorano Theater, in Dakar, Senegal.

Very talented and well known in the local dancing community, Roy has always been passionate about dancing, performing and making people around him feel positive and motivated through his classes.

Getting to know him better, he told me that a dramatic event changed his relationship with dance. The sudden death of his father in Gabon and the difficult economic situation of his family meant he had to drop out of university. The pain and abandonment he felt made him get closer to dance as a way to channel his emotions and creativity and overcome his fears.

Since then, he has been improving and learning different styles, including hip-hop, Latin dances, modern jazz and traditional African dances.

Roy would love to open his own school one day and teach students how to become more confident about their bodies, skills and creativity and overcome depression and negative thoughts through the dance.

But to do so, he needs to complete his education as a professional dancer first.

Last year a big opportunity came in when Roy was selected for a 50% scholarship to join the EURASIA Dance Project International Network , at the DanceHaus Accademia Susanna Beltrami in Milan, Italy.

As COVID-19 pushed people into poverty and unemployment, and badly affected the arts sector, Roy’s dream became out of reach as he was forced to stop teaching and performing, his main sources of income to be able to finance his studies in Milan.

That’s why I’m asking for your help. Every dollar you donate is a step closer to realize Roy’s dream.

For his first year in Milan, he would need:

• EUR 2500 (USD 2950) to complete the 50% scholarship (academic fees)
• EUR 6000 (USD 7000) in his account as a requirement to apply for a student VISA in Italy. This money will be then used to pay the rent for one bedroom in a shared apartment in Milan, which usually amounts at EUR 500/month per bedroom (bills included).
• EUR 200 (USD 230)/year to pay for public transport to go to school.

To thank you for your help, Roy is happy to organize dance classes on Zoom, Facebook or Instagram.

Follow him on Instagram and watch his videos on YouTube!

#1dollar1step #TeamRoy