Scholarships

The Judy Chow Family Endowment

The Judy Chow Family Endowment helped establish the foundation for Westside Ballet’s enduring commitment to scholarship assistance and educational access. Judy Chow created the endowment so that promising young dancers could receive serious classical ballet training even when the cost might otherwise place that opportunity beyond their families’ reach. An endowed scholarship is a lasting investment: one act of generosity can support successive generations of dancers. The Chow family’s commitment therefore represents both assistance to individual students and an investment in a Westside community strengthened by greater economic access and inclusion. We remain profoundly grateful to Judy Chow and her family for helping establish this legacy of opportunity.

The Todd Lechtick Memorial Scholarship

For decades, The Todd Lechtick Memorial Scholarship honors a beloved member of the Westside family whose extraordinary photography documented generations of dancers, performances, and milestones. Todd came to Westside as an adult ballet student and became its resident photographer, developing a remarkable ability to capture both the technique and humanity of dance. His career eventually took him around the world photographing major ballet companies and international competitions, but Westside remained home. Upon his death, Todd left nearly half a million dollars to Westside Ballet’s scholarship endowment, dramatically expanding its ability to support young dancers. Todd’s photographs preserve our history. His extraordinary generosity helps secure our future.

The Mirabelle Weinbach Merit Scholarship

The Mirabelle Weinbach Merit Scholarship celebrates passion, perseverance, discipline, humility, and an exceptional willingness to work. Established by an anonymous donor who is a retired professional ballet dancer and current arts educator, it honors former Westside dancer Mirabelle Weinbach. Mirabelle trained at Westside for approximately a decade, dancing leading roles while pursuing advanced summer training at some of the nation’s foremost ballet schools. She credited her Westside teachers with instilling respect, hard work, diligence, and dedication. The scholarship is awarded annually to a student who embodies that same spirit – a dancer whose commitment is demonstrated not simply through ability, but through persistence, growth, and genuine passion for the work.

The Elizabeth Fowler Scholarship — Dance to Dreams

The Elizabeth Fowler Scholarship – Dance to Dreams supports children participating in Westside Ballet’s Dance to Dreams program and reflects the generosity of Elizabeth Fowler and Gary Summers and their commitment to diversity, equity, access, and opportunity in dance. Dance to Dreams welcomes children who might not otherwise have access to serious dance education, giving them the opportunity to learn from accomplished teachers, experience the discipline and joy of movement, build confidence, and see themselves as belonging in the world of dance. We are deeply grateful to Elizabeth and Gary for helping Westside reach more children and families. Their generosity reflects a simple but powerful belief: every child deserves the opportunity to dream.

The Yvonne Mounsey Legacy Scholarships

The Yvonne Mounsey Legacy Scholarships carry forward the personal commitment of Allegra Clegg, daughter of Westside co-founder Yvonne Mounsey, who continues to provide both need- and merit-based scholarship assistance. Yvonne’s extraordinary career stretched from the Ballet Russe to George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet and ultimately to Los Angeles, where she co-founded the school that became Westside Ballet. Her legacy rests not only in artistic excellence, but in her profound investment in young dancers. Through Allegra’s continuing generosity, that spirit remains alive in the studios Yvonne helped create – giving today’s dancers opportunities to train, grow, and discover how far dedication and excellent teaching can take them.