Parent Kerrie Esplana said the students aged from 11 to 18 dance full time, eight days a week, but need financial help to attend the Alana Haines Ballet Competition in New Zealand.

Mrs Esplana said the international competition give the dancers a chance to get scholarship offers to the top ballet schools and companies across the world.

“It’s really great for them to be given the opportunity to compete like the city children,” she said.

“They’ve got the talent, they’re all that good but they need this, without exposure they won’t get out of Wodonga.”

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Mrs Esplana said the dancers were dedicated to their dreams of professional ballet careers and wanted to host a dance-a-thon to help raise money for their trip. 

She said because of their age every student needs to travel with a parent for support, so the costs add up quickly. 

From 10am to 3pm, the public will be able to see a showcase of the children’s talent, with someone on the dance floor the whole time. 

“We hope it shows them that people support what they’re doing,” she said.

“And it also shows the enormous talent we have here.

“This is the only real full-time ballet school that offers educational programs between Melbourne and Sydney.”

To donate contact Kerrie on 0400 447 261.

The dance-a-thon will run from 10am to 3pm on Sunday at ‘The Lab’ on Melbourne Road.

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