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Scholarships

We help talented, committed dancers keep dancing — so cost is never the reason someone steps off the floor.

Each year the Foundation awards scholarships to dancers who could use a hand. Lessons, shoes, gowns, entry fees, travel — it adds up fast, and a little support at the right moment can change a dancer’s path.

Who can apply

Dancers of any age, style, and level — from youth competitors to adult newcomers. Awards are made on an objective, nondiscriminatory basis.

What it covers

Lessons, competition entries, attire, and travel — the real costs that can put dance out of reach.

How we choose

We look at passion, commitment, and need — not just trophies. Tell us your story; that matters most.

How to apply

How we decide

The rubric we score against — published in full

Every application is scored out of 100 points against these four criteria — the same weights the review committee uses, word for word. Awards are made on an objective, nondiscriminatory basis, in accordance with our Non-Discrimination Policy.

Financial need

40 pts

Household circumstances as attested in the application — the cost of training and competing relative to means. Attestation only: we don't ask for tax documents, and a deliberate misstatement disqualifies the application.

Commitment

30 pts

Training history and consistency — lessons, practice, and competition participation relative to opportunity, not placements. A dancer who has shown up for two years on a tight budget outscores a trophy shelf.

Passion & story

20 pts

Your own words: why dance, what it has cost you to stay in it, and what this scholarship changes. Judged for authenticity, never for writing polish.

Community

10 pts

What you give back — helping younger dancers, volunteering at your studio or events, representing the sport.

Step 1

Apply

One application per dancer per cycle; a parent or guardian applies for dancers under 18. Optional supporting material — a coach's note, a video link — is welcome.

Step 2

Committee review

A three-member committee appointed by the Foundation — a WDF officer, an independent coach or judge, and a community member — scores every application independently against the rubric. A member never scores a dancer from their own studio.

Step 3

Decision

Scores are averaged, the committee recommends, and the Foundation board signs off. Every applicant receives an answer — award, decline, or waitlist.

Step 4

Two cycles a year

Application deadlines are March 15 and September 15, with decisions within 30 days of each deadline.

Transparency: this rubric is the complete evaluation standard — there are no hidden criteria. The Foundation publishes total amounts awarded each year; recipients’ personal and financial details are never published, and recipients may opt out of public recognition entirely.

Apply for a scholarship Apply as an organizer or studio Fund a scholarship

Fund the program

Every award on this page starts as someone’s gift

Scholarships are funded entirely by donations. A monthly gift of $38 is roughly one private lesson, every month, for a dancer who couldn’t otherwise afford one — and funded dancers’ results land in the same public archive anyone can search. See the program’s live numbers.

Make a gift

$38/month ≈ one private lesson, every month, for a dancer who couldn’t otherwise afford it.

Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency · verify. World Dancing Inc., d/b/a World Dance Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity (EIN 33-2738731). Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Payments are processed by Stripe; we never see your card number.

Scholarships are awarded without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. World Dancing Inc. is recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.