Local Youths Awarded Scholarships for National Training

The NORDC/NOBA Center For Dance, a cultural community partnership between the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC) and the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), has awarded six local dance students, ages 13-18, scholarships to train this summer at prestigious dance programs around the country. Every year, NORDC/NOBA Center For Dance, through funds raised by the Men and Women of Fashion's Prix d'Elegance Luncheon and the Ballet Resource And Volunteer Organization (BRAVO), provides scholarships for talented students in the NORDC/NOBA Center For Dance Pre-Professional Program to continue their studies through advanced training during the summer at national programs.

2011 Scholarship Recipients
Alayna Acosta, 17 - Joffrey Ballet, Chicago
Destiny Billot, 13, - American Ballet Theatre (ABT)
Claire Daigle, 16, - Kirov Academy of Ballet
Greta de la Rua, 17 - Joffrey Ballet School, New York
Gabrielle House, 16, - Atlanta Ballet
Raven Ross, 18, - The Ailey School

In order to apply for a scholarship, dancers must have an exceptional level of performance quality and artistic interpretation. Eligibility for these scholarships is based on students' demonstrated talent, technical skill, determination and drive, as well as attendance records, teacher recommendations, and personal essay submissions. In addition to performance requirements at locAl NordC/NOBA Center For Dance events throughout the year, recipients are expected to keep a daily journal of their summer dance experiences to submit at the end of their training.

One of this year's recipients, Raven Ross, is a graduating senior from Benjamin Franklin High School who has been training since 2007 with the Center For Dance. Through the CFD, Ross has performed with the NORDC/NOBA Center For Dance Company in two national tours, including performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C in 2008 and the 2009 Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. She has also taken master classes and attended summer intensives with professional companies for the past four years, including the Boston Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and Dance Theatre of Harlem.

"My time spent studying over summers has opened my mind to new styles, improved my dance technique, and given me the confidence to transition into my college dance career," said Ross. "Without the support and valuable opportunities NOBA has provided me, I would not have been able to get the quality training that has truly helped me develop as a dancer and as an artist."

Ross, who will begin this fall as a dance major at Southern Methodist University, will spend her summer studying at the Alvin Ailey Bachelor of Fine Arts dance program in New York City. "My recent acceptance to the Ailey program is a significant accomplishment because at this point in my career, the opportunity to attend a college training program is crucial," said Ross. "I aspire to have a career as a professional dancer-traveling globally, motivating others and serving as a mentor to younger dancers."

In addition to the scholarship winners, students from the NORDC/NOBA Center For Dance have been accepted this year to many other elite national dance programs, including Pacific Northwest Ballet and Nashville Ballet. All 15 of the students in the CFD Level 5 Pre-Professional Program, ages 12-18, were accepted to the Joffrey Ballet School in New York.

Since its inception in 1992, the NORDC/NOBA Center For Dance program has continuously garnered national attention and awards. This recognition has steadily increased since Hurricane Katrina, when the free dance program was one of the first community activities back in action. Originally founded with seed money from the Freeport-McMoran Foundation, the CFD was born out of a need to make dance accessible to all school aged children. A program that began with just 30 students at one NORDC Center now reaches 300 students per semester at seven sites citywide. With a core curriculum of ballet, classes are open to any child with a demonstrated interest in dance. Through a professional faculty, master classes by NOBA Main Stage artists and other visiting artists, a mentor program and field trips, the CFD works with each child to cultivate dreams and strengthen futures. The CFD is the recipient of 2002 Coming Up Taller Award, nominated for the Big Easy Classical Arts Award for best dance performance, and has received national grants through the NEA and the National Guild of Community Schools for the Arts.

NOBA is the Central Gulf region's premiere presenting and service organization dedicated solely to the art of dance. NOBA's dynamic Main Stage season annually features a diverse array of world-class companies and artists. Each year NOBA provides concerts, classes, workshops and lectures to more than 25,000 area dance enthusiasts of all ages. In addition, NOBA's nationally recognized award-winning education programs provide the youth of our community access to quality arts programs with 3,000 activities annually through performances, classes, and workshops, more than 90% of which are free.

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