CTFD Announces Additional $250K Sono Osato Scholarship Gift

Career Transition For Dancers is proud to announce an additional gift for The Sono Osato Scholarship Program for Graduate Studies. Through the generosity of Ms. Osato, her scholarship program is now endowed for a total of $1.25 million.  This $250,000 gift is a one-to-one matching grant for the 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee year of CTFD, with half toward the scholarship program and the other half for general operating.  This challenge will not only help the organization’s fundraising efforts, but also encourage other donors to establish named scholarships for dancers wishing to pursue higher education.

Sono Osato is a renowned dancer and actress, and one of the first American dancers in de Basil’s original Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. After six years there, she became a member of the exciting Ballet Theatre of the 1940’s, performing with Nora Kaye, Alexandra Danilova, Antony Tudor, Lucia Chase, Agnes De Mille and Jerome Robbins. Tudor created the role of “Rosaline” in his Romeo and Juliet for Ms. Osato. Ms. Osato appeared on Broadway in de Mille’s One Touch of Venus (Donaldson Award) and she starred in the role of ‘Miss Turnstiles’ in the classic musical On The Town, which was choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Ms. Osato’s beauty, intelligence, and lyrical grace were the hallmarks of her brilliant career.

Ms. Osato states: “The mission of Career Transition For Dancers is so vital to the dance community because it’s the only organization of its kind in the USA caring for the needs of dancers.  It’s a great pleasure to make this one-to-one matching $250,000 gift for educational scholarships and general operating.”

 Sono Osato continues to give to the dance world. The art of performance makeup for the stage is typically passed down from dancer to dancer. For the past couple of years, Ms. Osato has provided private makeup sessions to dance schools and companies by passing on her tips and training from ballet, on Broadway, and in Hollywood films.

Dancers give audiences lasting moments of inspiration, capturing the essence of life through movement.  Yet, unlike all other performing artists, dancers must give up their chosen profession – often at the height of their careers – due to injury or “aging out” by 30.  Career Transition For Dancers recognizes the brevity of a dance career; the education that dancers must often postpone or forego; and the extraordinary physical, emotional and financial demands these artists encounter during the various stages of their careers.

To make a donation towards the challenge, please visit www.careertransition.org/DonateNow, or contact the organization's Director of Development, William J. Dale at (212) 764 0172.
Career Transition For Dancers, with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, has helped over 4,300 professional dancers in 47 states identify their unique talents in preparation for establishing new careers when dance is no longer an option. Since its founding in 1985, the organization has provided more than 43,000 hours (equivalent to over $4 million) of one-on-one career counseling and program services - at no cost - and has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships for education, entrepreneurial grants, and certification programs. CTFD also provides dancers with specialized services that include transition seminars and workshops, peer support groups, resource centers, a toll-free national career counseling hotline, a website, and a National Career Network.

For more information, visit www.careertransition.org

The Caroline & Theodore Newhouse Center for Dancers is located at 165 West 46th Street Suite 701 (at Broadway – the Actors’ Equity Building) NYC 10036.  CTFD’s phone number is (212) 764-0172 and the fax is (212) 764-0343.  In Los Angeles: 5757 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 455; LA, CA 90036, tel (323) 549-6660 and fax (323) 549-6810. In Chicago: at Hubbard Street Dance Center 1147 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607; tel (312) 666-0234 and fax (312) 455-8240.