Rebecca Fleisher Scholarship
Congratulations to Arabeli Calzada, the 2022-23 Rebecca Fleisher Scholarship Recipient
17 year old Dalton High School student Arabeli Calzada has been named this year’s Rebecca Fleisher Scholarship recipient in the Creative Arts Guild Dance Department. Through her hard work, dedication, discipline and tenacity, Arabeli has shown herself to be more than deserving of this honor. She has worked hard to excel in her dance technique and training by not only attending her regular dance classes, but also attending extra classes, and private lessons which afforded her a rare opportunity. She got to audition for Ballet Dalton, the Guild’s pre-professional company within the dance department, in the middle of the school year. Arabeli was accepted into Junior Company as a first year, and has already been promoted again after only 5 months. She is now beginning her 7th year dancing.
Beyond her dance load, Arabeli is in the school chorus, 3 church choirs, soccer, band, and does community service at church. She is a part of the National Beta Club, Skills USA, the Tri-M Music Honor Society, and the Interact Club. In addition to becoming this year’s Fleisher Scholarship recipient, she has also been awarded the Junior Academic Excellence award, the President’s Education Award and various soccer awards. Arabeli is an asset to the Guild Dance Department and a treasured member of her company. We are so pleased to have her as our 2022-23 Rebecca Fleisher Scholarship recipient!
What is the Rebecca Fleisher Scholarship?
Established in 1985 by Morris Fleisher and Harold Shapiro, the Rebecca Fleisher Scholarship for Dance is awarded each year in perpetuity to one or more deserving students. Each year, the Creative Arts Guild selects dance students who have shown great promise but are challenged by the cost of tuition.
Scholarship awards are based on financial need; students wishing to receive a scholarship will submit an application for review and approval by the Dance Program Director, the Guild Executive Director, and the Board. Requests for applications may be made to the Dance Program Director, Jessie Fincher.
Rebecca Fleisher was such a gifted dancer that when she was only 11 years old she was asked to teach ballet to other young students at her dance school. Her gracefulness and passion for dance, from classical ballet to ballroom dancing, permeated her life. Rebecca lived in Dalton with her husband, Morris, for many years. Her family hopes that this scholarship will inspire the recipients to make dance a fundamental and meaningful part of their lives.
In 2014 the family established a similar scholarship endowment to assist students in the Visual Arts program. The endowment is named after Rebecca's husband Morris Fleisher and provides scholarships to aspiring young artists who show great promise but who are challenged by the cost of tuition.
Find out information about the Morris Fleisher Scholarship for the Visual Arts