Melissa Stafford, director of Peabody Dance, is please to share the following news about students in the Estelle Dennis/Peabody Dance Training Program for Boys:
- Kareem Best was offered a full tuition scholarship to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He graduated from Carver and held a part-time job to cover his expenses for his college search while also attending the boys program here.
- Bilal Smith, a Baltimore School for the Arts graduate, was offered a full scholarship to Carolina Ballet’s summer dance intensive in Raleigh, N.C. After spending the summer at that program, he was offered an apprenticeship with Carolina Ballet, a critical first step in a professional dance career.
- Antrel McDowell was offered a full tuition scholarship to the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School in Florida this summer. After completing the summer program there, he was offered a full scholarship to attend their pre-professional training program for the school year. He was also offered a full scholarship to the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s Men’s Training Program.
- Peabody Dance alumnus Olivier Knopp, faculty artists Seth Knopp and Violaine Melancon’s son, received a full scholarship to attend the American Ballet Theatre New York Summer Intensive. This is the second summer he has attended the ABT program in New York.
- Brothers Noah, Elias, and Jonah Schwartz attended the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Summer Program for five weeks.
- Connie Dinapoli was able to offer full scholarships to the Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance Summer Program here at Peabody. The following Estelle Dennis boys attended: Theodore Owen, Dorian Smith, DeVonté Tasker, Elias Schwartz, Josiah Lawrence, Noah Schwartz. The Paul Taylor school does not offer scholarships for any students (male or female) at their main campus in New York.
