Jessa Balote is 14 Years Old and Training to be a Professional Ballerina in Manila.

It is a task that takes enormous amounts of dedication for even the most determined of young women, but Balote's challenge is nothing compared to life outside the dance studio where she has to support her entire family. "I'm the only one they expect to bring the family out of poverty," she says. Balote is one of 54 students enrolled in "Project Ballet Futures," a program run by Ballet Manila to provide free ballet training to children from some of the city's most deprived neighborhoods. Balote lives in Tondo, a slum built next to a major waste dump in Manila. Her parents make what little money they have by selling trash. If Balote was not involved in the dance program, she says she wouldn't be able to eat everyday.''

Read More