Montreal ballet academy offers free training for qualified Ukrainian refugees

Director Sandra Castro-Muhlbauer says it’s unfair that youth could lose their dream of becoming dancers.

Publishing date:

Mar 17, 2022 • 18 minutes ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation

Sandra Castro-Muhlbauer and husband, Diego Castro, at their Mont Royal Ballet Academy on Thursday. They are offering free ballet classes for the children of Ukrainian refugees who have ballet experience. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

A ballet academy in Montreal has added itself to a growing list of groups offering support for displaced Ukrainians.

The Mont Royal Ballet Academy is offering free training to youth with ballet experience who arrive in Montreal, the academy’s director said Wednesday.

“In the Ukraine, ballet is taken very, very seriously, just as here when you’re in a professional program,” Sandra Castro-Muhlbauer said. “Those kids who are in that kind of program, their goal is really to become dancers and I believe that goal should not be stopped now because of the situation that is happening.”

The academy’s offer comes as Montreal mobilizes to accommodate Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion. Montrealers have been donating food, clothing and medical supplies to Ukrainian churches around the city, while others have been donating their time or offering rooms in their homes for families that will be arriving in the coming weeks. An NDG restaurant plans to donate its net profits on Tuesdays to Ukrainian relief until the crisis ends.

Castro-Muhlbauer, who competed at an international ballet competition in Kyiv as a teenager, said ballet studies are an expense displaced families probably won’t be able to afford. The cost ranges between $500 and $1,000 per month.

“If they’re immigrating here to Canada, there is no such thing as a tuition-free ballet program,” she said. “I think it would be terribly sad for a child who worked so hard for the past probably years… to just stop because of that situation.”

The free tuition means experienced ballet dancers can continue their training five days per week, which translates to between 10 and 20 hours per week depending on the level, Castro-Muhlbauer said. The plan is to provide free tuition for at least a year or two, while the families get settled.

“And even then, after that, there is a possibility of a scholarship if somebody’s really, really good,” Castro-Muhlbauer said. “We could give a full or half scholarship to help them financially. But I think for now, it’s important to know that we’re a place that gives tuition-free class.”

Those who are interested can contact the academy at 514-737-7676 or [email protected] to schedule an audition.

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