Hi, I’m Yaya Kosikova, and I’m helping raise funds for an incredibly talented young artist — my dear friend’s daughter, Melisa Rapanová.

I’ve watched this girl grow into something truly extraordinary. At just 15 years old, Melisa is already a rising star in aerial acrobatics, specializing in aerial hammock and hoop. She’s been training for over 4 years, and her passion, work ethic, and talent are beyond inspiring.

Here are Melisa’s words:

Hi! I’m Melisa, I’m 15 and I come from Slovakia.

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been accepted to attend an intensive summer camp at the prestigious National Circus School of Montreal — one of the best in the world and a dream come true for me!

This opportunity is a big step toward my goal: to become a professional aerial performer and one day perform with Cirque du Soleil.

The camp will give me the chance to train with world-class coaches, learn new disciplines not available in my home country, and connect with amazing artists from around the globe.

I live with my mom, who supports me in every way she can, but this journey comes with significant costs — camp tuition, flights, insurance, and training gear.

If we raise more than the goal, extra funds will help support my competition season: travel, fees, costumes, private lessons, and workshops.

Here are a few highlights of my recent competitions:

1st place – Aerial Silk Dance Competition in Hungary (hammock)

2nd place – Czech Aerial Hoop Open, with Best Artistic Impression

1st and 2nd place – Pole & Aerial Championship Hungary (hammock & hoop)

1st place – Slovak National Championships (5th at the European Championship)

1st place – Czech National Championships

Every contribution — big or small — brings me closer to this dream. Even just sharing this page would mean the world.

Thank you so much for your support!

— Melisa

Let’s help this incredible young talent fly — literally. I hope we’ll all be watching her perform on the Cirque du Soleil stage very soon.

With love,

Yaya