Marat Daukayev School Of Ballet Permanent Home

http://maratdaukayev.com/ 

The Marat Daukayev School of Ballet is being forced to vacate the studios we have called home for the last 19 years.  The building was sold, and we must leave by June 30th, which means that 300 children and more than 6000 ballet costumes are urgently in need of a new home. Because we serve children of all ages and skill levels, we need a space that is divisible into multiple studios. Finding such a space near our current location has proved challenging.  Commercial real estate in Los Angeles is stratospherically expensive today, and spaces that meet our needs are hard to find. 
 
Since we learned we must leave our studios, we have scoured our market area, chasing down every potential lead for a space to lease or purchase within our budget. To ensure the school’s survival, we have arranged to rent temporary quarters for our summer semester.  In the fall we must begin classes and rehearsals for our annual production of The Nutcracker, the subject of the documentary “Getting to the Nutcracker” (which airs every year on PBS and is available to download on Amazon.)  As we look for a new home, there are some costs we are certain to incur; and with these, we need your help.
 
No matter where we land, we will need to install ballet flooring, mirrors, and barres, which we estimate will cost $68,000 in total. As we face the challenge of holding the school together while maintaining classes in separate locations and juggling the transition to a permanent space, we anticipate an additional $55,000 in costs just to get us through the Christmas season. Our students eagerly anticipate The Nutcracker every year, and this year our friend and frequent guest ballerina, Maria Kochetkova, has assured us we can count on her to join our performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy. We simply must raise these funds so that the show and the school can go on. Our talented, hard-working students have waited years to assume the roles they’re slated for this Christmas and now it is time for them to take the stage. Thank you for helping us make their dreams a reality.
 
A donation toward our combined goal of $123,000 does much more than cover these expenses. For 19 years, the students of Marat Daukayev School have acquired the benefits of ballet.  They have built their self-esteem, character, and the ability to express themselves through the medium of dance. Many have gone on to professional ballet careers, but we are equally proud of those who followed their dreams at academic institutions around the country and abroad. Marat Daukayev Ballet’s training provides teaches self-discipline and invaluable life skills, no matter what life path our students chose.  That’s why our mission extends far beyond making every child into a dancer.  We hope to instill in every child a sense of his or her own uniqueness and potential, together with a deeply personal love for art. The impact of these gifts continues long after our students leave us.  Your donation helps fund our move to a new home, and so secures this extraordinary process of growth for young dancers now and in the future.
 
Please help us continue this transformational work by supporting us with your donation today.  Please share our appeal with anyone who believes that children and the arts are vital to our world.
 
We are humbled by your generosity, and grateful for your kindness.
 
With love,
Marat and Pamela Daukayev
Marat Daukayev School of Ballet