Help Me Reach My Dream
Donation protected
Dear Donor,
My name is Vijay T. Olander and I’m 27 years old from Lincoln, NE. I was born in Pune, India and adopted by an American family around the age of five. My time in India was very short but very impacting because in my orphanage we sang and danced a lot. Once I came over to America, my parents got me into dance lessons and I fell more in love with the art form. I keep practicing dance because it allows me to express myself and be confident
For the past 19 years, I’ve been dancing and for the last nine years, I’ve been teaching it professionally. I trained in many styles but my forte is in Tap and Hip Hop. I started teaching at Chase Dance (my home studio under the directorship of Bob and Stephanie Chase) when I was a junior in high school and it has been one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. Currently, I teach hip hop and tap at three studios in three different cities. I teach around 30 classes a week to make a living.
Since I’ve been teaching/ sharing my passion for dance with so many students, I don’t really get the time to do it for myself anymore. So, my plan is to go get some training and experience in Tap to better myself. The way I plan to do this is by moving to Chicago and training at the M.A.D.D. (Making A Difference Dancing) Rhythms Tap institution. I will study under the directorship of Bril Barrett (one of the legendary hoofers of our time) and alongside his prestigious faculty. My time in Chicago will consist of me taking weekly classes, being an apprentice with the M.A.D.D. Rhythms company, and working.
As an apprentice, one of the biggest financial expenses I’ll have is the cost of classes. I’m required to take three weekly classes plus the company rehearsals every Sunday for a ten-month span. The cost of the classes is $4,000. I know tapping that much will have wear and tear on my tap shoes so need to buy a good pair of professional tap shoes as well. A good pair of professional tap shoes cost $300. I also know that with all the performances I will be doing I will have to purchase my own costumes and that will cost around $200. Lastly, I would be using the CTA to get around to my classes, rehearsals, and performances. The cost of the CTA pass per month is $105. So I’m asking for a total of $5,550 in aid assist.
My mother once said “If you can use your talents to help others in life then that is the best thing you can do in life even if you don’t make much from it.” I’ve always believed in that and that is one of the main reasons why I teach. I would love to teach tap for the rest of my life but in order for my vision to happen, I need your generous help to get there. If you can help out then I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
My name is Vijay T. Olander and I’m 27 years old from Lincoln, NE. I was born in Pune, India and adopted by an American family around the age of five. My time in India was very short but very impacting because in my orphanage we sang and danced a lot. Once I came over to America, my parents got me into dance lessons and I fell more in love with the art form. I keep practicing dance because it allows me to express myself and be confident
For the past 19 years, I’ve been dancing and for the last nine years, I’ve been teaching it professionally. I trained in many styles but my forte is in Tap and Hip Hop. I started teaching at Chase Dance (my home studio under the directorship of Bob and Stephanie Chase) when I was a junior in high school and it has been one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. Currently, I teach hip hop and tap at three studios in three different cities. I teach around 30 classes a week to make a living.
Since I’ve been teaching/ sharing my passion for dance with so many students, I don’t really get the time to do it for myself anymore. So, my plan is to go get some training and experience in Tap to better myself. The way I plan to do this is by moving to Chicago and training at the M.A.D.D. (Making A Difference Dancing) Rhythms Tap institution. I will study under the directorship of Bril Barrett (one of the legendary hoofers of our time) and alongside his prestigious faculty. My time in Chicago will consist of me taking weekly classes, being an apprentice with the M.A.D.D. Rhythms company, and working.
As an apprentice, one of the biggest financial expenses I’ll have is the cost of classes. I’m required to take three weekly classes plus the company rehearsals every Sunday for a ten-month span. The cost of the classes is $4,000. I know tapping that much will have wear and tear on my tap shoes so need to buy a good pair of professional tap shoes as well. A good pair of professional tap shoes cost $300. I also know that with all the performances I will be doing I will have to purchase my own costumes and that will cost around $200. Lastly, I would be using the CTA to get around to my classes, rehearsals, and performances. The cost of the CTA pass per month is $105. So I’m asking for a total of $5,550 in aid assist.
My mother once said “If you can use your talents to help others in life then that is the best thing you can do in life even if you don’t make much from it.” I’ve always believed in that and that is one of the main reasons why I teach. I would love to teach tap for the rest of my life but in order for my vision to happen, I need your generous help to get there. If you can help out then I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
Organizer
Vijay T. Olander
Organizer
Lincoln, NE