American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Principal Dancer Misty Copeland and former colleague, “Ballet’s Golden Boy” Joseph Phillips, joined forces with EIF, with seed funding provided by K Period Media, to launch Swans for Relief to raise needed funds to help ballet dancers around the world maintain their living expenses through this challenging and uncertain time. Misty and Joseph joined forces to help fellow dancers who are struggling financially.
In these unpredictable times, ballet companies, like many organizations, are fighting to survive.
Ballet companies are largely dependent on revenue from performances to pay their dancers and fund their operations, but we are now confronting the uncertainty of when we will return to the stage and once again fill performance venues.
Some estimates are that large gatherings like concerts and performances will not be able to resume for another 18–24 months. The live performance aspect of what we do means so much to dancers, and time away from the stage has proven difficult as performing not only provides a means to live, but it also is what keeps dancers feeling alive.
Many dancers are unable to depend on paychecks and are facing hardships
Consequently, many dancers are unable to depend on paychecks and are facing the hardship of paying rent and/or buying food and other necessities.
Please consider supporting these 32 beautiful and strong women from different walks of life who have come together to speak the common language of dance unify and empower each other in these uncertain times.
