Posts
Have you ever had a dream? Was there something you really wanted to be when you grew up but because of money you weren't able to pursue those dreams? Do you believe that every child should have a shot at following their heart and living up to their greatest potential?
Our story started about 2.5 years ago when I enrolled my youngest daughter (Morghan) in a preschooler's ballet class. Then Ayden (then almost 9) asked if he could come and watch his sister's class. He tried all the classes EXCEPT ballet. We encouraged him and explained that any competitive program would include ballet so he should at least give it a try, especially as he seemed to love dance so much. He finally agreed and after the class said "Ballet! Oh mom I love it so much!"
That first year we were at a small local studio with the thought of just giving them the year to try it out. However, it was extremely clear that both of them really loved performing after watching the absolute joy and excitement on their faces during the year end show performances.
After a year of dancing locally we switched to Performing Dance Arts in Vaughan. This is when Benjamyn (then 7.5 years old) decided to give dance a try after watching his siblings love it so much. Once his teachers at PDA realized what he was able to do they strongly encouraged him to try out for their competitive team and now he’s determined to be a professional dancer too.
About the same time, we discovered Canada's National Ballet School. Ayden fell in love! To learn about his experience please read my previous post.
Our first year at PDA was a great starting point and they loved it!
This brings us to the current year. Morghan is on the "micro mini" competitive team, Benjamyn is on the "mini" full time competitive team and Ayden is on the "inter" part time competitive team. Our schedule is crazy! Unfortunately Ayden's heart just isn't in the other classes like it is with ballet. Thankfully we found out that the ballet teachers from PDA have their own studio in Richmond Hill and he’s been able to add classes there. He's back to really loving the dance and connecting well with his peers. We are hoping with continued hard work that he will be able to move up to the next level program, which will include several more hours of ballet.
So, why we are fundraising? As a family we're struggling through a rough patch and it’s just more than we can handle financially right now. We really feel the children are passionate about their dancing and have great potential. Pulling them out, even for a year or two, could make the difference in their futures, especially for the boys. Talent is a terrible thing to waste. Please help us keep them doing what they love to do so much. Fundraising ideas and business sponsorship/donations are definitely welcome! Donations can be made by clicking on the ‘donate’ button at the top left. It will take you to PayPal where you can use a credit card or bank account to contribute. Remember, every little bit helps! It was all the little bits that helped us reach our goal last year. If you are unable to help financially then please feel free to write a comment or email us with words of support/encouragement – these are important too and meant so much to us all last year!
