Donate to Eli's professional ballet training

Hello!

I'm Eli Waunch, I’m 16 years old and I’ve been dancing ballet for 6 years. Ballet has become a huge part of my life, and today, I'm reaching out to ask for your support in order to get me one step closer to my goal of dancing professionally.

When I was younger my sister forced me to take a ballet class with my 2 brothers. I thought ballet was for girls and hated the idea of wearing tights, but ever since then it’s grown on me and has become my favorite pastime, hobby, and sport.

My goal is to become a professional ballet dancer, and the teachers and directors that I’ve encountered through summer programs and my home studio have told me that I have what it takes and that this goal is attainable. Most male dancers receive their professional contracts between the ages of 18 to 21. This means I have a lot of training to squeeze into the next few years. My current studio does not have a male teacher and as a male dancer, it’s very important to get boy-specific training, for leaps, turns, artistry, and partnering. This has led me to seek additional training twice a month in Edmonds, Washington. My future goal is to study year-round for my senior year of high school starting in the fall of 2024. In the meantime during my last year at home, we’ll be making several 10-hour round trips to the Seattle area every month for additional male training. Along with this, I will also be competing in an international ballet competition to network and seek future training opportunities. With all this said, my ballet training is expensive this is where you can help.

So with that said I’m reaching out for some support and any amount small or big that’s donated will make a big difference. All the money that’s raised will go directly towards: my tuition fees, dancewear and uniforms, gas money for the trips to Seattle, plane tickets as I’ll be traveling to The Rock School and YAGP, audition fees, and private coaching.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me in my journey and all the teachers, friends, and family that have poured into me and my ballet journey. Thank you for your consideration and for being a part of my dance career. You can give through Venmo, CashApp, or GoFundMe.