Nicola Ciotta, founder of Baby Ballet Long Island, has created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for a trip to India with Magic Bus, a charitable organization that mentors children along their journey from childhood to livelihood. The $2000 goal will cover flights and insurance costs, and any additional funds raised will be used to help sustain the work of Magic Bus.
Magic Bus exposes children in India to education, the arts, trades and skills that they would not otherwise have the opportunity to learn. These experiences help give them the confidence to grow and the education needed to eventually have jobs, provide for themselves and their families and lead a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Ciotta plans to fly to India in December with good friend and fellow ballet dancer Kimberly Martin to share their love of dance with children in Mumbai. After one week, they will put on a performance with 50 children.
“Dance is a language spoken by everyone and we are there to show the children how to be creative, to have fun and bring a community together,” Ciotta writes on the GoFundMe page. “Because when you inject new skills, fun and dance into a community, it gives them hope.”
For more about Ciotta and Baby Ballet, see LIW‘s recent interview with Ciotta: Baby Ballet Long Island Prepares Little Ballerinas For The World Of Dance
To learn more about the fundraiser and to donate, visit www.gofundme.com/joy-of-dance-to-mumbai039s-slums.
For more information about Magic Bus, visit www.magicbususa.org.
