Charlie’s ‘Untapped Potential’ Scholarship is awarded to a dancer with a passion for dance and music.

Charlie Leitis was born into the NJADS extended family on June 4, 2021, as the son of Dani who works at the desk of our Ancaster location, and her husband Ivars. Charlie adored his older sister Riley, and had an early love for Bluey, music, and cars. He was a big cuddler in the studio, always observant of his surroundings.

As Charlie grew, his interest in rhythm and music strengthened. Unfortunately, he was unknowingly battling an undiagnosed genetic disorder that led to developmental delays and regression after his first birthday. One aspect that consistently remained with Charlie and expanded over time was his knack for maintaining rhythm and finding pleasure in observing our dancers. He joined our ECE Music class, but chronic fatigue made participation challenging.

To honour Charlie’s memory, the studio established a scholarship program offering one year of tuition to a dancer passionate about dance and music.

Charlie’s Scholarship was created in hopes of giving a child the dance future Charlie couldn’t have. We are proud to announce that the second recipient of Charlie’s ‘Untapped Potential’ Scholarship is Maddison Lethbridge.