The NYC Dance Alliance Foundation, which advocates for education and high standards of excellence for dance students, held its 2019 National College Scholarship Audition on July 1. The audition was attended by 225 student dancers from the United States and Canada; the NYCDA Foundation awarded 39 of these college-bound dancers with a total of $355,000 in scholarships.
The Foundation's Fred and Adele Astaire Scholarship for $15,000 was awarded to New Jersey dancer Olivia Alboher, who will attend Pace University in the fall, while Florida's Jamaii Melvin received the Dance Magazine Scholarship for $25,000 toward his attendance at Julliard this fall. The audition was also attended by 10 college dance programs—Dean College, Point Park University, Montclair State University, the Hartt School, Pace University, Mercyhurst University, the University of the Arts, Texas Christian University, and Southern Methodist University—which together offered over $10 million in scholarships shared by 71 dancers.
The NYC Dance Alliance was founded by choreographer, director, producer, teacher and entrepreneur Joe Lanteri in 2010. According to press notes, "to date, over 250 talented teenagers have shared in over $2.5 million awarded directly through the foundation. Those recipients are represented in 42 of the most prestigious university arts programs in the country."
Flip through the gallery below to check out NYCDA alumni who have gone on to become familiar faces in NYC'S performing arts community.
