Scholarship

Scholarship Program Vital Information

MISSION STATEMENT:

To provide a disciplined, comprehensive dance training program for 30 teens in Toronto’s West End, free of charge, for one school year.

WHO IS FRANCO DANCE?

We are a small, family-operated business, new to the West End of Toronto. Our philosophy is that dance is an empowering, fundamental element of the human experience. Dance has the power to reveal to us our strengths and weaknesses, unite a community, and release us from the grip of stress. It is an excellent form of exercise, and it also serves to balance the spirit. It is the ideal way to express ourselves, have fun, and connect with others.

Edgar and Melinda Franco both began their dance careers at a very young age, and continue to work not only as teachers, but as performers and competitors. They are actively involved in the creation of theatre-dance pieces, a dance company, and also operate a film production company, working on several dance documentaries.

We teach adults, children and teens, with Ballroom and Latin dancing as our core forms. We also teach salsa, Hip-Hop, Breakdance, B-Boys, Flamenco, and other forms. Our studios are built around the concept of family and the passion for dance, something we share with every student who walks onto our dance floor.

WHY A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM?

Dufferin and Bloor is a diverse neighborhood full of young people. Franco Dance wants to offer a program that will contribute to the neighborhood in a positive way, and there is nothing more fundamental to a community than the well-being of its youth. If teens have opportunities to discover positive things about themselves and develop a close group of friends based on common interests, they are more likely to have high self-esteem and take better care of themselves. Team sports have the same kind of effect, but not everyone is an athlete. Dance is unique in that it not only requires physical discipline, but it nurtures expressiveness and vulnerability. We want to be able to start our business in the neighborhood by giving, hoping that it will enrich our studio, our lives, and our community.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

We are inviting teens in Grades 10 to 12 to audition for the program. Teens will be required to be in full-time attendance in high school with passing grades to qualify. We will choose teens based on three criteria:

Talent. We are looking of course for talented dancers, but experience is not required. Teens will be able to audition in whatever style they choose. Creativity, musicality and raw talent will be what we are looking for.
Dedication. Equally important is each individuals desire to commit to a disciplined, rigorous program.
Need. Students who are disadvantaged economically will be given priority, but kids who may have a “personal” need to be involved in something like this will also be part of our focus.

WHAT WILL THE STUDENTS LEARN?

First and foremost, they will learn to dance. Dancing requires determination, and we are treating this group like a mini-company with expectations modeled after professional companies. There will be two hours of required attendance on a regular basis, and that may increase if there is a performance or special event happening. On top of that, teens in the scholarship program will be able to attend any of the regular group classes in the studio for free. We will encourage them to participate in as many of these classes as is feasible for them while maintaining their marks at school.

In the classes we will study Ballroom, Latin, Flamenco, Hip-Hop and Breakdance as part of the regular curriculum. Whenever we have the chance, we will bring in outside instructors to offer special workshops so we can expose the group to as many forms as we can.

We will also teach the students choreography and have them do shows as often as is reasonable. Any money made through these performances will go directly into the scholarship fund.

Another element we hope to introduce, once the Scholarship has the financial means, is taking the students to shows and competitions. We will try to secure as many tickets for these kinds of events for free as we possibly can, but in the future we hope to have a fund for taking students to compete at least once during their stay with us.

We hope to be able to offer a well-rounded and disciplined program so that by the end of their year, students feel confident calling themselves “dancers”, and have the knowledge and experience to back that up.

Melinda Franco Deines
President

Edgar Franco
Dance Director

Can You Help?

Franco Dance Studios is offering a scholarship program for teens in your area. This program is free to the students, but there are areas in which we can use community support to enrich their experience. If you are interested in helping, here are the things we can use to provide them with an exceptional experience:

Dance Instruction: If you are a teacher in a specialized style and have a few hours to spare, we would love to have you come and teach a workshop to our students.

Shoes and Costumes: We have a shoe fund to help assist students who cannot afford to purchase proper dance shoes, and would also like to start a small wardrobe of used or donated costumes that would be available to the students for shows and competitions.

Schools: Schools can help us to get the word out about the program so more students can participate. Please contact the studio - we are available to come in and speak to students about the program, and offer written material for them to take home and show their parents.

Sponsorship: We can use help to enter students in competitions and attend shows.

Contact Edgar at 416-538-7777

Parental Consent Form

Download the required Parental Consent Form by clicking here.

Francodance Scholarship Program
for Teens

Melinda and Edgar Franco of FrancoDance studios are proud to offer an extensive dance scholarship program for teens in Grades 10, 11, and 12 in Toronto’s West End. Covering a number of dance forms, this scholarship will offer free training to teens for one school year. The scholarship students will have opportunities to perform, compete and potentially to learn to teach if they so desire.

FrancoDance Studios are owned and operated by dancers, and our philosophy is that dance has the power to bring us closer to who we truly are. Learning to express ourselves through physical expression is a fundamental human experience. Our scholarship students will study Latin, Ballroom, Hip-Hop, Flamenco, Breakdance and Capoeira, and have opportunities to take workshops and classes in other forms. The focus will be on harnessing their unique talents, discovering their strengths and weaknesses, developing technique, and fostering creativity.

At a time when teens are often struggling with the many challenges that face young people today, our hope is that this program can offer a sense of purpose, pride and belonging. Staying in school with passing grades will be a requirement for all participants, and FrancoDance will work with parents and teachers to help achieve this goal.

We are currently running a pilot project for the program, with approximately 10 students participating. There are more spaces available - teens who are interested should contact the studio.

Thank you for your interest in the FrancoDance scholarship program. For more information, please contact Melinda or Edgar at 416-538-7777, or email us at edgar@francodance.com or melinda@francodance.com.