Charlotte Ballet has lost a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that was intended to support a dance scholarship program.
In a statement to WFAE, the dance company said the $15,000 grant would have supported the ballet's Reach program, which provides need-based dance scholarships to students who demonstrate the potential to be trained in dance.
The program affords children the opportunity to access quality dance training in their neighborhoods free of charge, according to the Charlotte Ballet website.
Charlotte Ballet learned of the grant rescission on Friday, May 2 — the same day the Charlotte-based Three Bone Theatre was informed it was losing a $20,000 NEA grant meant to support three plays centered on Hispanic immigrant characters.
Dozens of arts organizations around the U.S. have received notifications that grants have been rejected or rescinded in recent days, according to the Associated Press, and President Trump has proposed eliminating the NEA altogether.
On Monday, a group of senior officials resigned from the NEA in protest, according to the New York Times. The NEA is an independent federal agency that supports and funds arts projects and programs across the U.S.
