Meet Our Team
Natalie Kozhemiakin, Founder & President
Natalie Kozhemiakin is a pre-professional ballet dancer and high school student at Brimmer and May. She is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of her School's newspaper, The Gator, and is beginning to teach creative movement classes to younger students. As both Russian and Puerto Rican, Kozhemiakin values diversity and culture, and began her journey to establish Tutus Para Todas in 2019.
Hebe Qiang, Graphic Designer
Hebe Qiang is a current junior student at Brimmer and May. She loves visual art, international relations, and her role as the Co-president of her school's AAPI club. dditionally, she is the Co-president of her school’s AAPI club and has a passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
More introductions to come soon!
ABOUT US
Tutus Para Todas is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2019 to fund dance programs and supply free dancewear for underserved children in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico is an island of lively culture and unparalleled beauty that, in recent years, has been engulfed in a deep socio-economic crisis. It has also been struck by several natural disasters, such as Hurricane Maria, from which the recovery has been painfully slow. COVID-19 has made the difficult situation even worse. Nearly half of the island's population lives at or below the poverty level.
With many of my Puerto Rican relatives living all over the island, I have observed the daily struggles of Puerto Rican families and have been looking for ways to make a difference, big or small.
I consider myself lucky. Growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, I have had access to abundant resources and the opportunity to train in classical ballet with world-class instructors for nearly a decade. My love of dance has shaped who I am, and I believe that everyone should be able to access a dance class. This is why I decided to found Tutus Para Todas ("Tutus for All"), a non-profit organization whose sole goal is to fund dance programs and supply free dancewear for children in Puerto Rico in need of support.
The benefits of a dance education are precious and lifelong. The classes foster community, promote self-confidence, and encourage a healthy lifestyle. The lessons learned in a dance class can help with almost every other aspect of life.
I am very passionate about ensuring that aspiring young dancers in Puerto Rico receive the training they desire. Every dollar that we receive will make a difference!
Les quiero dar las gracias por todo su apoyo. ¡Muchísimas gracias!
- Founder of Tutus Para Todas, Natalie Kozhemiakin