Shreveport 10-year-old to dance onstage with Moscow Ballet | Arts & Culture

For 10-year-old Travawyn Taylor, a chance discovery at a Boys & Girls Club party has become a coveted onstage role with the Moscow Ballet.

Travawyn, who goes by Trey, will dance on-stage at Shreveport's Strand Theater with the Moscow Ballet's Russian professionals in the 20th Anniversary production of the Great Russian Nutcracker. The show is on Sunday, November 18 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Trey will dance as Little Spanish and a Party Guest in both acts of the production.

Trey recently began taking lessons at Power and Grace School, the host studio for Moscow Ballet’s Student Program, after being “discovered” at a social event at the Boys & Girls Club of Shreveport (which is under the Salvation Army–Shreveport umbrella). Trey’s dancing talents caught the eye of Salvation Army administrators, and upon discovering that Trey had no formal training (his family had not been able to afford it)—instead he had been using his church and dance videos online as his learning ground—Rebecca Nichols of the Salvation Army–Shreveport contacted the Power and Grace School to inquire about sponsoring lessons for the young boy. It wasn’t long before Trey joined the Power and Grace family, as the school awarded him a scholarship for dance lessons. Now he takes lessons in ballet, tap, and jazz.

“We’re really enjoying [Trey]. He’s a great talent,” says Gloria Smith, of Power and Grace School of Performing Arts. “And he’s really enjoying it here.”

Trey is a fifth grade student at Turner Elementary School, where he is an honor roll student. In January, he is testing for entrance to advanced placement classes. He and his family are members of the Praise Temple Full Gospel Church, where he performs as a "praise dancer."

Moscow Ballet’s 20th Anniversary Great Russian Nutcracker overflows with spectacular and award-winning principal dancer Karyna Shatkovskaya and Vladimir Tkachenko; company of 40 women and men; Christmas Tree that grows to 5 stories tall; playful 10’ tall silk puppets; 200 all new, hand-made costumes; and falling snow.