Local high school student, Ariel Burde, has been selected to study at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow

The New York-based Russian American Foundation (RAF) is pleased to announce that Ariel Burde of Bala Cynwyd has been selected for the prestigious NSLI FOR YOUTH Program – funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs – to spend six weeks of the summer 2013 studying Russian language, culture and ballet at the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow.

Launched as part of a U.S. Government initiative in 2006, NSLI-Y seeks to increase Americans’ capacity to engage with native speakers of critical languages by providing formal and informal language learning, and an intensive cultural immersion experience. The goals of the NSLI-Y program include sparking a life- long interest in foreign languages and cultures, and developing a corps of young Americans with the skills necessary to advance international dialogue in the private, academic or government sectors. Through her participation in the program, Ariel will be the face of future of international communication with one of the world’s most politically and culturally important countries.

The NSLI-Y scholarship covers all costs associated with the program, including domestic and international travel; tuition and related academic preparation; language testing; educational and cultural activities focused on language learning; orientations; meals; and accommodations.

As part of RAF’s unique NSLI FOR YOUTH program, 15 young dancers – from Alaska, to New York, to your very own state of Pennsylvania– beginning July 13, will spend six weeks in Moscow, where they will train with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, considered one of the greatest ballet academies in the world, while studying Russian language, history, arts and culture. The program will connect the scholarship winners with Russian culture through ballet, facilitating critical cross-cultural learning.

Prior to their departure for Moscow, the students will have three weeks of intensive ballet training in New York City with RAF’s Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer Intensive, now in its sixth year of an exclusive U.S. summer residency, sponsored by the Russian American Foundation (RAF).

The announcement was made by Marina Kovalyov and Rina Kirshner, President and Vice-president, respectively, of Russian American Foundation. For more information visit: http://russianamericanfoundation.org/nsli-y.php