A talented South County teen with big dance dreams has been selected as the first recipient of the Jennifer Thoma Memorial Dance Scholarship. Thirteen-year-old ballerina Madison Price will participate in a “summer ballet intensive” dance program with funds received from the scholarship.
Thoma family with Price
Price is an accomplished dancer with hopes of becoming a professional ballerina. She began dancing as a very young child and has appeared in dozens of local performances, including seven productions of “The Nutcracker,” where she was cast in leading roles of “Clara” and “Christmas Doll.” Instructor Michelle Epperheimer described her as “born to dance,” and a “truly gifted dancer and performer.”
The daughter of Jim and Joanne Price of Arroyo Grande, Price devotes nearly 15 hours a week to dance class while maintaining a nearly straight-A average at Judkins Middle School. She was surprised with the scholarship announcement as she completed a dance class last week. The Thoma family invited Price’s parents and grandparents to join them at the dance studio to watch her reaction to the award announcement. “That was an amazing moment and fun to surprise her in front of her own dance family,” said Bill Thoma.
A number of local dancers vied for the $2500 scholarship that earmarks funds for summer ballet intensives, an accelerated, immersion style ballet dance training program offered by leading ballet organizations and schools nationwide. Jennifer Thoma was a longtime San Luis Obispo resident and dedicated ballet supporter who passed away from cancer in June of 2012. Her husband, Bill Thoma, and children Jeff and Jessica established the scholarship in Jennifer’s name to honor her passion for dance. Her daughter Jessica, a Cal Poly student who is herself an accomplished dancer and dance instructor, shares Jennifer’s love of dance.
Jessica danced from a very young age, and as a teen, was encouraged by her mother to participate in San Diego and Irvine summer intensives. The intensives’ experience and the resulting growth in her daughter’s dance abilities inspired Jennifer. She dreamed of establishing a scholarship to help create similar opportunities for other young dancers, but became ill before she could establish the program. Her family saw it through in her memory.
Competitors for the scholarship were required to submit an arts resume, essay, school transcripts, letter of recommendation and audition video. Judges for the competition included Bill Thoma, Jessica Thoma, artist Deb Spatafore, Jennifer Thoma’ longtime friend and Cal Poly colleague, Shelly Prichard Landers, and dance instructor Ryan Lawrence. The Jennifer Thoma Memorial Ballet Dance Scholarship is administered by the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation, who was instrumental in helping establish award criteria as well as manage outreach to potential applicants.
Bill Thoma spoke of his family’s interest in establishing the annual scholarship as a means of keeping Jennifer’s passion for the art of ballet alive. “My wife devoted herself to dance in so many ways,” said Bill. “She attended hundreds of performances, served on dance organization boards of directors, drove our daughter to rehearsals, accompanied her to special training programs, sewed costumes, raised funds and in her spare time, did a little dancing herself. She had such a passion for dance and particularly, ballet. She would be so proud that her dream became reality and honored such a deserving young dancer as Madison Price.” Thoma added that a number of memorial gifts in his wife’s name helped add to the scholarship funds.
Price plans to use the funds this summer to attend the five-week summer ballet intensive program at the Pacific Northwest Ballet located in Seattle Washington.
Additional information about the Jennifer Thoma Memorial Ballet Dance Scholarship is available online through the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation’s website or by contacting Angela Hollander, the scholarship program associate 543-2323 x14.