I am super excited to announce that after all these years and endless efforts, A Ballet Education officially has a full non-profit. Over the past 5 years, we have been able to give over $20,000 dollars to students around the United States who needed help. While this money came from my personal finances and the profits from A Ballet Education, it wasn’t enough. We officially are a 501(c)3 and can start applying for grants and start taking donations.

Without sounding cliché, this brings me joy. I will now be able to help dancers around the United States who need the help and have the potential to pursue a career in classical ballet. To build a legacy that truly matters to me, and truthfully, I really have to thank Jennifer Laurie, my first dance teacher. She not only gave me a scholarship to dance, but gave me the oppertunity to pursue ballet. I would also like to thank Suzanne Linden who gave me first teaching job at a Title 1 public middle school’s Gifted and Talented Education / Visual and Performing Arts Program where i learned how to hone my skills as a teacher and help young dancers of color. I would also like to thank Alexandra Rose who gave me the oppertunity to pursue business and helped me with the huge learning curve I had from transition to ballet to fashion. Because of this I have been able to come back to ballet and have had major success.

I would also like to thank my Grandma for giving me my first exposure to ballet, my mom for supporting my dreams and letting me pursue this crazy world. Finally, I would like to thank my Dad. My dad passed away a few years ago, and because of his passing, I left fashion and started blogging about ballet and it has all now lead up to all of this. Being grateful for this extraordinary life I get to live because of all of these people and oppertunities.

And now, I get to have this crazy journey in ballet that encompasses so many different avenues: A Ballet Education’s Blog, Magazine, Merchandise, Books, Art & Illustrations for some of the top companies in the world, guest teaching, The Ballet Clinic, The Pointe Shoe Clinic and now A Ballet Education’s Foundation.

So thank you universe for being kind to me.

I often think that sometimes this is the universe’s way of repaying me for losing my dad so early on. Or sometimes, I lay in bed and think that I don’t deserve any of this, but in grand scheme of things, this humbling and I am forever grateful that I get to go on this journey day after day and constantly be inspired to be a better teacher, better artist, better son, better friend, and better person.