They’re two of a kind.
Twin 15-year-old students have been offered an opportunity to study at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (JKO) School of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT).
And now the two tenth graders at the Inwood Academy for Leadership Charter School students need help covering their tuition costs at one of the top dance schools in the country.
Dancers Fabián and Sebastián García were lauded by Inwood Academy’s administrators.
Christian Guerrero, the school’s Director of College and Career Readiness, has known the 15-year-old dancers since the sixth grade, when they first enrolled.
“They’ve always been focused and driven despite the challenges that they face,” said Guerrero. “During the school’s retreat last summer, the boys used their free time to do their stretching and flexibility routine. I admired their diligence to keep developing as dancers while still participating fully in all activities.”
The twins have only 22 days to raise $15,000, the cost of their tuition for one year of study at ABT. In order to enroll in time, they need to have raised the money by May 1st.
“Our dream is to be professional dancers in contemporary ballet or modern dance companies,” said the brothers in a statement. “And this school can help us build a stronger ballet technique and gain valuable experience.”
By their own account, the brothers, who started dancing in earnest at the age of 13, travel six days a week and spend about 18 hours a week in classes – separate from the time spent stretching and rehearsing on their own. On Saturdays, they also help middle school students with their own dance classes.
They are motivated, in part, by the idea that they could inspire others.
“We will stand out in the crowd and [will help] raise awareness to Latinos in the ballet world,” they write in their fundraising pitch on the school blog. “Let’s face it. Have you ever seen a Latino dancer play the part of the king in the ballet Swan Lake or play the prince in Sleeping Beauty?”
They’d be following in the steps of one recent pioneer- it is at ABT that Misty Copeland made history by becoming the company’s first African-American female Principal Dancer.
Read more: Stepping up | Manhattan Times
To support the García brothers before the May 1st deadline, please visit their fundraising page Help Sebastian and Fabian attend ABT! at http://bit.ly/1RRwAQv.
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