Announcing the Creation of The David Howard Foundation Scholarship, Awarded Annually to a Student of Ballet Academy East

    NEW YORK, NY, January 31, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Ballet Academy East announces the creation of The David Howard Foundation Scholarship. The award, generously underwritten by The David Howard Foundation, will be made available annually to an exceptional BAE student in support of tuition and housing expenses. The inaugural recipient is Tallison Costa.

Costa is a native of Brazil who has been studying in BAE's Pre-Professional Division since 2016 as part of BAE's International Student Visa Program. Costa discovered his love of ballet when he was 11 years old and living in Brazil. He was introduced to ballet through a dance project offered by his middle school.

Costa started taking classes at a small dance school, and at age 14 attended a summer intensive at a larger school in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Here he was exposed to dancers with more advanced technical skills. He studied with Adriana Assaf and Ribeirao Preto. This fueled his desire to become a better dancer and he made a determination to commit to perfecting his technique.

"It was always my dream to live abroad and to go to a good school that could offer me strong training and performing opportunities. BAE offers me exceptional technical training, an amazing faculty and different dance styles that I was not used to learning," says Costa.

The David Howard Foundation was created by the late David Howard, one of the best-loved and most innovative dance teachers in the world. The Foundation supports and sustains the teaching and performance of the art of ballet. It has supported the training of both ballet teachers and students for many years.

According to Robert Wessely, Esq., David Howard Foundation representative, "We are pleased to name Tallison Costa the first David Howard Foundation Scholar. This continues our founder's practice of assisting ballet students in the pursuit of their ballet careers by providing a scholarship for a talented and deserving student."

Costa is excelling with his training at BAE. "The attention I receive from the teachers, the classes I take and all the work we are put through every day are elements that are helping me improve not only technically but also in how to become and act like a professional. BAE is giving me what I need to get into a company as a professional dancer," he shares.

Ballet Academy East is New York City's leading center for complete ballet education. BAE offers comprehensive training by an accomplished faculty in an environment that encourages professional and personal success.

Ballet Academy East is home to aspiring dancers of all ages in its Young Dancer, Pre-Professional and Adult Divisions. Located in the dance capital of the world, BAE is internationally recognized for exceptional dance training and is the Upper East Side's ballet school of choice. The school's accomplished faculty lead classes that nurture students' physical and emotional well-being, build technical skills, and develop artistry. The inspiring studio atmosphere creates an encouraging environment for dancers of every level.

Ballet Academy East's Pre-Professional Division combines comprehensive ballet training with professional-caliber performance opportunities to prepare students for success in the dance world. BAE's proven syllabus creates technically strong, artistically expressive dancers who adapt easily to the broad range of styles required of today's professionals. Students are taught by the school's acclaimed faculty, under the guidance of Artistic Director Darla Hoover, and work regularly with in-demand guest artists from across New York City and around the world. Enrollment in the Pre-Professional Division is by audition.

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