Fact: Most professional dancers make very little money
Also Fact: Most professional dancers are super smart and driven
Logic would tell you that dancers would want to pursue some sort of higher education either while they’re dancing or once they finish. The problem? Most education subsidies that some professional dancers get while still performing don’t carry over once they’re no longer employed by a ballet company.
There are often resources available to dancers at the larger companies that come in the form of reduced tuition at partner universities or even a stipend to be put directly toward education at dancer’s school of choice. For example, Boston Ballet offers a program to dancers whereby they can enroll in classes at Northeastern University at a significantly reduced rate. But, many smaller companies don’t offer anything in the way of tuition assistance.
Meet Shelby Whallon, a former dancer with the Los Angeles Ballet. Whallon trained under Peter Boal in the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Professional Division before starting her career in Los Angeles. Always a pretty academic kid, while dancing, Shelby applied to Columbia University’s School of General Studies and was quickly accepted. However, the price tag was daunting, forcing Whallon to pass on the opportunity. But, it got her thinking…….
When Ballet Help Desk spoke with her, she recounted how demoralizing it was to realize that it was money that would be the gating factor that kept her out of Columbia. Now happily attending UCLA, Whallon recently started an organization called the Encore Fund.
The Encore Fund, is a program that is housed under the non-profit umbrella of the Dance Resource Center but operates as its own scholarship fund. The fund’s mission is to close the financial gap between professional dancers and their transitions into higher education opportunities. Professional dancers deserve more than a final bow when stepping away from their performing careers; they deserve support and community to help them succeed in their next steps.
According to Whallon, “The Encore Fund is the only fund that exists to make grants directly to dancers to help them with whatever their needs are as it relates to seeking higher education. As opposed to funds available through organizations like the Entertainment Community Fund, which makes restricted grants to performers and are paid directly to the academic institutions, the Encore Fund doesn’t attach strings to its funding.”
A dancer needs to make their rent while going to college? The Encore Fund will help. Maybe you can handle the tuition but your car died and you can’t get to class without it? No problem – grants from the Encore Fund can go toward paying for that repair! Whallon understands that life happens and sometimes you just need a helping hand to get you through that next stage of your life.
We think this is terrific and we wish there were more funds available to support dancers as they transition into their second act in life. If you’re interested in hearing more about the Encore Fund, you can check out this video. And, if you’d like to donate to the fund, you can head to their website.
The fund’s goal is to raise $5,000 this year. Let’s see if we can get them there!