2011 Dance Council Scholarship Recipients Rayleigh Vendt Denton City Contemporary Ballet Scholarship


Since she began pointe classes at age 11, Rayleigh knew she belonged in the professional ballet world. She cur- rently studies at Lisa Slagle’s Ballet Academy of Texas, taking seven classes a week and attends company rehearsals on weekends. Her dedication has earned her acceptances in both the Austin Ballet School summer intensive and the American Ballet Theatre intensive.


Courtney Forbes Texie Waterman Memorial Scholarship


Fifteen-year-old Courtney started dancing at the age of three. She lists ballet and contemporary as her two favorite styles of dance. She has worked with Ballet West in Utah, Odyssey Dance Theater, and had the unique opportunity of touring with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She hopes to attend the Lines Ballet Summer Program and to eventually join a con- temporary or ballet company.


Anna Lise Wilkins Natalie Krassovska Memorial Ballet Scholarship


Anna Lise began taking ballet at New England Dance Conservatory at 4½, and then moved to the Massachusetts Academy of Ballet under Rose and Charles Flachs at 8 years old. Her goals for the next two years include training with Mme. Akhmedova in Silver Springs, MD and competing in international ballet com- petitions. Her ultimate goal is to become a professional ballet dancer.


Rohitha Kaimal Indian Cultural Heritage Foundation


Rohitha first started learning dance ten years ago. She credits her current teacher, Satyavani Iswara, for help- ing her blossom into a fine dancer and hopes to contin- ue expanding her knowledge of dance with her. Her goals are getting good grades, attending college and finding a job she loves, but dance will always be a part of her life.


Madelyn LaLonde Amber Strauser Scholarship


Madelyn attends the High School of Performing & Visual Arts in Houston, Texas. She began dance at age 3 and has advanced quickly in the dance world, earning a full scholarship to the Joffrey Jazz & Contemporary summer intensive. She continues to “strive everyday to be the best dancer I can. No one is harder on me than I am to myself.”


Alex Nowlin Buster Cooper Jazz Scholarship


Alex studies jazz, jazz funk, contemporary, hip hop and African dancing with the Muse Dance Company. She wants to teach students across the nation as she travels with the company. She hopes to attend the Edge Performing Arts Center intensive this summer to gain experience and discover new, cutting-edge ways to structure a class. “I have huge dreams and the resources always tend to work out when I have a little faith.”


Kavitha Rajagopal Arathi School of Dance Scholarship


Kavitha’s first dance teacher told her “Dance will take you to a whole different dimension!” Ten years later, she has learned what it is to dance with your heart, mind, body and soul. Kavitha will use her scholarship to pur- sue her passion to attend a workshop in Chennai, India, to study under Guru Surya Narayana Murthy.


Taylor Boyland South Dallas Dance Festival Scholarship


Taylor studies jazz, ballet, pointe, tap and contemporary at Dance Continuum in Hurst, Texas, and attends Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where she takes modern and ballet classes. Her goals for dance are to improve her move- ment quality. Her life goals are to stay focused and never give up.


Summer Fiaschetti Amber Strauser Scholarship


Summer is a sophomore at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts. She came to Texas through the tragedy of losing her family home to a fire. “Dance provided me an outlet to work through my grief.” She is a previous winner of the Glenda Brown Choreography Scholarship and hopes to not only pursue a career in dance, but to teach at a Performing Arts High School.


DANCE! NORTH TEXAS a publication of the dance council of north texas vol. 14 •


Antuan Byers Point Park University Intl. Summer Study Scholarship (B)


Only dancing for 4 years, sophomore Antuan Byers wants passionately to pursue a dance career. He is a member of Bloom—Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s Junior Performing Ensemble. His plan for this summer is to attend Point Park University’s summer intensive. Antuan stated that he hopes to “transform myself into a sponge and soak up as much dance as I can. The summer has great things in store for me and I can’t wait to accept the challenge.”


no. 3 www.thedancecouncil.org august 2011 page 19


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