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Nonprofit Roxbury, Jamaica Plain dance studio loses $30,000 federal grant
About 40 percent of BalletRox students receive a full scholarships to attend classes in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain.
The community is rallying behind a small nonprofit ballet school with studios in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain that lost a $30,000 federal grant earlier this month.
BalletRox, which also teaches in Boston Public Schools, was initially awarded the National Endowment for the Arts grant to support their scholarship program. Jane Allard, the board chair, said about 40 percent of their students, ages 3 to 18, receive full scholarships, which include supplies and costumes.
After some emergency fundraising, BalletRox has raised nearly $18,000 of the $30,000 grant.
“We only were aiming for 10!” Allard said, saying the support was going to bring her to tears. “We’ve seen such an outpouring of support in the last three weeks… It’s been reaffirming the importance of the work that we do.”
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Earlier this month, Allard said “it was very, very somber” when the nonprofit received the news that the NEA grant had been rescinded.
“While we were not necessarily shocked, it was still very upsetting to see the notification. We’re a very small organization,” Allard told Boston.com. “We get this grant almost every year. It’s one of the grants we rely on to manage our programs, and knowing that we’re probably not going to get this grant for some years to come.”
The school’s studio program has 100 dancers, while their BPS programs and other external programs expands their reach to 600 to 700 students a year. BalletRox classes include jazz, tap dancing, afro-fusion, modern dance, and more.
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To “keep kids dancing,” a prompt on their website asks their community to consider donating.
Despite the surge in support, Allard said BalletRox is not completely in the clear. While many donated this month, “people who usually give in December gave now and won’t give again then.” She said in an email that the program is considering cutting events in the fall and even one or two classes.
“It’s important to talk about why arts are important in school and for kids, and the benefits that kind of any discipline gives you,” Allard said. “Music is important. Dance is important. Sports are important. Something for kids to have and to care about is important.”
Details for a restaurant fundraiser in South Boston will be released soon, Allard said.
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