Jonah Schroeder Vaganova Ballet

Hello, My name is Jonah Schroeder, I am twenty years old and from Canada. I live in Winnipeg with my parents, brother, sister, three cats and one dog. From 2012 until my graduation in 2017, I trained at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. My time there was amazing, I had the opportunity to perform with the school, get world-class training and of course meet some great people who I am glad to call my friends. In all my time there, my parents supported me in every way possible, and I will forever be grateful to them and many other family members who attended performances or who in some way helped pay for my tuition. In my graduating year at the RWB, I felt that I needed, and desired more training so I could get as much experience as possible. I sent an audition video to the Vaganova Ballet Academy and to my surprise was accepted. Knowing I couldn't miss such an amazing opportunity, with the help and support of my parents I sprung to action and was able to secure a bank loan to study at the school for the 2017/18 academic year. My time here so far has been amazing, not only am I further developing my technique and artistry in ballet, but I've been able to experience a different culture and study a new language. I am currently in their second last year of training at the school, and if I am able to return for the 2018/19 academic year and graduate I may have many new opportunities to dance in ballet companies across Europe and beyond. The reason I am asking for your help is because getting a second bank loan seems unlikely at the moment and would also mean carrying more debt. The tuition for the academy is $17,000 USD (about $21,000 CAD) and flying from Winnipeg to St. Petersburg is also quite expensive, well over $1,000 each way. Any money you donate is going towards tuition, travel costs and other necessities such as the ballet uniforms and shoes. There are millions of people who spend their day wondering if they'll have their next meal or not or if they'll have a safe place to sleep at night, so please only donate if ballet and the arts is something you are truly passionate about. Thank you, Jonah Schroeder