Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Update on Uma Shannon




Help Uma stay at Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program (AKLB) for Spring Semester 2016.

For those of you who don't know Uma, she is the daughter of long time community members Miranda and John Shannon, and granddaughter of Nancy Simmons and the late Barrie Simmons - among Rinpoche's very earliest students. This past fall, Uma was one of 22 first year students accepted to the prestigious Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program in San Francisco, CA. There are a total of 36 students in the two year program.

Thanks, in great part, to the kindness, generosity and care of our extended Dzogchen family, Uma was able to go and stay in San Francisco and attend AKLB. Uma's fall semester at AKLB has been stellar - her teachers are phenomenal, her peers motivating, her improvs are constantly evolving, and during her fall semester evaluation Uma was told to just keep doing what she is doing. She has also been told, on various occasions, by both Alonzo King LINES company dancers, ballet masters, and training program instructors that she is a beautiful and strong dancer. 

During the AKLB Fall Showcase 2015, Uma was markedly featured in Wester, the piece she was in - she danced two improvs and a solo. The piece was so well liked that there was a repeat performance in early December at the Youth Arts Summit in San Francisco. Furthermore, she is one of nine students picked (out of 36 students) to choreograph a piece for the AKLB Training Program Fall Choreographic Showcase that will be performed on December 17th & 18th. Uma also made it into Vogue Italy online with two pictures taken by West Coast Atmosphere Dance Photography.




Uma needs your continued support and help in order to return to AKLB this spring. She continues to make and sell her beautiful handmade woolens and jewelry, and when she can, her pottery. Her family helps as they can, but their finances are very difficult as there has been no regular work for over two and a half years. 

Uma is running a long term Indiegogo life campaign: Help Uma Go To Alonzo King LINES Training Program , and organizing a fundraiser, upon her return to Amherst, MA for the holidays. Details are TBA, however the selected date is December 30th and she hopes that you will come watch her dance.

Uma is in great need of a kind San Francisco/Bay area host who would be willing to host her in return for her deep gratitude, paid expenses, and delightful company - that is, when she is home! Uma dances five very long days a week and sometimes on the weekend as well. She is incredibly neat, easy going, respectful, considerate and friendly - and her current darling San Francisco family will gladly vouch for her :)

Please consider helping this young and very talented artist in need of support so that she can continue learning her craft.

Thank you so much.


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