Hey everyone! My name is Soraya, I'm twenty-three years old and I just graduated from MY DREAM SCHOOL NYU, a.k.a. NEW YORK UNIVERSITY.

all the way from my “kleine kikkerlandje” to the big apple, falling in love with the city, the dance and theatre scene, but mostly, the people. Being an international artist makes it incredibly hard to work in the US or my home country - as my creative and professional network lies in NYC. That’s why I want to start my own Theatre Dance Company that can go beyond borders, which is also why I'm asking for your help. 

I don't want you to pity me because I am aware of the privileged position that I'm in, and I'm more than grateful to have received such an opportunity to study theatre and dance in such a vibrant city. I just want you to feel the love and excitement that I feel when I talk about my passion and I would be over the moon and incredibly thankful for every penny that you or your friends and family could spare.

Since I was six years old, I just knew: I want to make art. When I became older and "wiser" I also fell in love with subjects like biology, maths, and chemistry and I thought that choosing a career in these fields of work would guarantee my safety and happiness. However, it's time to reclaim my six-year-old voice again. My parents worked so hard that it’s hard for me to find my own path and I’m not the only Gen Z kid that feels this way. I’m, however, letting go of the footsteps that my parents left behind for me to follow because I am allowed to create my own. Every generation has its own struggles, which makes comparing them useless. As an artist, I aspire to show the world that we should stop comparing and start accepting. The generation gap only exists if we let it. I want to make art that doesn't fit the boxes and that provokes conversations regarding topics that are hard to talk about, such as mental disorders, cultural differences, human health, or sexual trauma. Being vulnerable is not equal to being weak. I would be honored to step into the shoes of various individuals, acknowledge their bliss as well as their pain, and portray them as the pure souls that they are.

I think that art cultivates empathy, has the power to stop the hate and resentment that people may feel towards one another, and start the revolution of listening to each other. I am ready to be one of the pioneers and I hope that you could help me on my journey of building my own traveling theatre dance company, soon to be called my home.

Kind Regards,

Soraya from the Netherlands (and NYC)