Help Paulina: Dance Apprentice/MA Course Candoco

Thank you very much for your interest and having a look at my donation appeal!

My name is Paulina and I have started this donation appeal in order to be able to fund my Masters Course with Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds UK, which involves being an apprentice dancer for Candoco Dance Company in London.

I was born with a dysmelia on my left arm which means that my left arm is shorter than my right arm and my left hand hasn't grown to its fully extend.

However, my disability never stopped me pursuing my dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

I started dancing in the age of five years and trained weekly in Ballet, Tap Dance and Contemporary Dance later as a teenager.

After finishing my A Level in Germany I did a three year vocational training in Dance in Education at Erika Klütz Schule in Hamburg to become a dance teacher.

My passion for Contemporary Dance grew and I auditioned for the BA in Contemporary Dance at Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, United Kingdom.

I just graduated on the 7th of July 2019!

I have been incredibly fortunate to be awarded with the opportunity of being an apprentice dancer with Candoco Dance Company in London on the MA Course at Northern School of Contemporary Dance.

An achievement and journey I would never have imagined, especially with a disability which sometimes brings frustration and difficulties along in a world of constant body idealisation.

Candoco Dance Company is a dance company involving abled and disabled dancers based in London, performing and touring all over the world and offering a great number of community projects and opportunities.

I was always looking up to them and their achievements and I'm incredibly grateful I got the opportunity to work with Candoco Dance Company and move on to the next step into the professional dance world.

How ever exciting this opportuntiy is, it is very expensive..

The course fees alone are £8,500 which my student loan covers, but in the end I'm left with £2,100 to live on in London for twelve months.

I'm a half-orphan and I have two siblings, which makes it difficult for my family to support me financially. Beside my full time apprenticeship and MA research I will try to find a job in London for the weekends and I'm working now during the summer to save up some money.

Nevertheless I'm on this platform to kindly ask for some extra support on my dance journey.

ANY amount you could donate would be super helpful for me and will be very appreciated to be able to pay rent, food and the bare essentials.

I will be forever grateful for your help and for this exciting new chapter in my life!

Thank you very much,

Paulina xx