Hi, I'm Ophélia Martin-Weber, 15 year old ballet dancer.  Four years ago I had just started ballet, now I'm training as a preprofessional and raising funds to develop my art.  It's been hard but so worth it.  Last summer, I was able to expand my training experience to Chicago and Portland.  I learned so much about myself, ballet and other ways of teaching from these opportunities.  In the end these opportunities led to my family deciding to move to Portland so I could pursue my dancing career as a trainee in the Portland Festival Ballet under the training of John Magnus.  

And it was all thanks to contributions from people like you.  

Ballet is an expensive art form but one worth sacrificing for from feet to time to finances.  As much as my family would like to be able to just pay for the expenses related to my dance training, we've had to get creative to find ways to cover the expense.  Sharing the journey and the art with others, is one of the ways we've done that.

This year in the Pacific NorthWest has flown by and it's time once again to consider summer training opportunities, known as Summer Intensives in the ballet world.  This time I have determined that it would be best for me to continue training with Mr. Magnus here in Portland, but I've also been accepted at the Nutmeg Conservatory of Dance in Connecticut for part of the summer.  The next stage of my training is in place; I've been accepted by both programs!  I only need a little help from my friends (you!) to get me there.  About $7,650 worth of help.

That's a lot of money, but I have one more thing to share with you.  Earlier this year I went with a group of artists to one of the most neglected areas of India to explore how we could use our art to help the Voiceless of the world.  Here's what I've decided: I want to donate 10% of all the money I raise to help a fledgeling school give an education and hope to the village children in A. Konduru, India.  Plus, any donations I receive beyond my goal will also go to this school, 100 percent!  

Will you help me pursue my dream career by supporting me in going to summer intensives?