After months of dancing in socks or barefooted, the dancers at the Olon Orphanage feel pretty special in their new ballet shoes! It was an entirely different ballet class this week with all of the dancers in professional quality leather ballet shoes for the first time! The feet were more pointed and the releve’s were higher…I even think the saute’s gained a few inches.
A big Muchas Gracias to Summit Dance Shoppe (Plymouth, Minnesota) and Larkin Dance Studio (Maplewood, Minnesota) for donating the shoes. From the 6 year olds to the 20 year old, they were all so excited and appreciative! And it wouldn’t have been such a success without Erica Vannucci’s inventory skills, or Patty Vannucci’s and Diane LaLuzerne’s focused attention as we spent hours matching the foot tracings to determine the proper shoe sizes. From Minneapolis, Minnesota to Olon, Ecuador…. these shoes made quite a journey and are changing lives.
Read about this exciting program on the Trifecta Arts website and make a tax-deductible donation today!
Stay tuned for future updates and visit the Initiative Page (Click here) to see more photos and make a donation to support this program!
photo credits: Anne Koho and Erwin Musper
