Munro Memorial Scholarship Fund Recipient, Olivia McFadden, and Brandon Ballet Artistic Director, Doricha Sales.
BRANDON, FL: Brandon Ballet, a pre-professional ballet company, located in Brandon, Florida, would like to congratulate Olivia McFadden age 16, as the recipient of the 2019 Richard Munro Memorial Scholarship!
The late Richard Munro spent his life nurturing the art of ballet as a Ballet Master, an Artistic Director and a ballet academy founder in Kentucky and Texas before moving to Brandon. He spent the last six years of his life teaching, coaching, choreographing and performing for Brandon Ballet. Because of his tremendous contributions to Brandon Ballet, the Richard Munro Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to honor his memory.
The Richard Munro Memorial Scholarship, a scholarship of up to $500.00, is intended to further the recipient’s classical ballet education. One scholarship winner between the ages of 13 and 18 is selected based on an audition which was held in January. Any dancer in the community, classically trained in ballet and meeting the age requirements, is eligible to audition. The recipient may use the scholarship to offset the cost of any summer ballet intensive program to which the recipient is accepted during the year in which the scholarship is awarded.
Olivia Jasmine McFadden is 16 years old and a Junior at Newsome High School where she is in the National Honor Society. This is Olivia’s first year with the Brandon Ballet and she has been dancing for a total of 12 years. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, hip-hop, character and currently trains at The Dance Center in Brandon, FL. Olivia has attended many summer programs such as Tulsa Ballet, Fairbanks Summer Arts, Tremaine Dance Competitions, Nuvo Dance Conventions, and Alonzo King LINES Discovery Project. She is pursuing a career in ballet with the New York City Ballet as well as in neurosurgery. Olivia hopes to attend Pacific Northwest Ballet Summer Intensives this year.
Brandon Ballet History and Mission
Founded in 1993, Brandon Ballet is a non-profit pre-professional ballet company that develops and promotes opportunities for aspiring young dancers. By offering a superior training program and three major performances each year, the Brandon Ballet helps serious dancers broaden their dance experiences.
From its humble beginnings, the company has grown to include 30 dancers of varying levels. Professional dancers, pre-professional, and training dancers call the Brandon Ballet home. The Brandon Ballet provides Brandon and the surrounding communities with an education in the art of dance. The Brandon Ballet serves the community through performances held at public facilities. All company dancers receive the highest caliber of professional training on a weekly basis and are provided the opportunity to learn standard classical repertoire. The Brandon Ballet has and will continue to foster growth and education by bringing guest teachers and choreographers to the community.