The Entertainment Community Fund Reveals 2026 Alex Dubé Scholarship Recipients
This year, the Entertainment Community Fund awarded $10,000 scholarships to Sasha Gologorskaya, Eloise Kropp, Daniela Maarraoui, Norika and Daniel Torres.
The Entertainment Community Fund has revealed the five recipients of the 2026 Alex Dubé Scholarship Program. This year, the Entertainment Community Fund awarded $10,000 scholarships to Sasha Gologorskaya, Eloise Kropp, Daniela Maarraoui, Norika and Daniel Torres.
Through the Alex Dubé Scholarship Program, Career Transition For Dancers (a program of the Entertainment Community Fund) supports the education of dancers to build their next professional platforms. These one-time awards of up to $10,000 per recipient are distributed annually to dancers enrolled in accredited graduate degree programs to assist in tuition payment. For more information on the Alex Dubé Scholarship Program, please visit Alex Dubé Scholarship Program.
Career Transition For Dancers (CTFD) recognizes that dancers face life changes for a variety of reasons, such as injury, age and more. CTFD offers career counseling, educational scholarships and panel discussions to assist dancers in navigating life changes and exploring new opportunities.
The Dancers’ Resource, also a program of the Entertainment Community Fund, was founded by Bebe Neuwirth to address the unique situation dancers face as a consequence of the physically demanding nature of their work, coupled with the significant financial challenges of earning a living in dance. The Dancers’ Resource provides individual and group support for dancers dealing with injuries; referrals for health care and health insurance; information and advocacy with workers’ compensation and disability insurance; educational seminars on injury prevention, nutrition and wellness, financial planning and more; emergency financial assistance; connection with other dancers to share experiences, resources and advice, and more.
The 2026 Alex Dubé Scholarship Recipients:
Sasha Gologorskaya
Sasha Gologorskaya is a Ukrainian-born artist, dancer, performer, choreographer and educator currently based in New York City. Sasha has performed across the United States and abroad, with notable roles including ‘Juliet’ in Hudson Ballet Theatre’s female-female rendition of R&J, the title role in ‘Giselle,’ as ‘Cassandra’ in Marika Brussel’s House of Names and as ‘Philippa’ in MeenMoves’ upcoming “Struwwelpeter” film series. Sasha is an alumna of the San Francisco Ballet School and the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase. She recently began her graduate studies at the Pacific College of Health and Sciences, where she is pursuing a Masters of Science in Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization. This degree will allow her to become a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Through her future work as a practitioner, she hopes to provide care, healing and guidance to her community towards a healthier, more balanced lifestyle that encourages agency over our bodies and well-being. She hopes to provide accessible care towards communities in need both locally and globally, particularly victims of war zones such as those in her birthplace, Ukraine.
Eloise Kropp
Eloise Kropp is a Broadway performer, choreographer and registered nurse currently pursuing her Master of Science in Nursing at Vanderbilt University as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner–Primary Care student. Originally from Oklahoma, Eloise began her professional performing career in dance and musical theater and spent over a decade working in the New York theater community. Her performance credits include multiple Broadway productions, workshops, regional theater, television, associate work and film projects. Throughout her career, she also developed a passion for teaching and choreography, mentoring young performers and coaching students through the college audition process.
Eloise transitioned into healthcare after completing her first bachelor’s degree during the COVID-19 pandemic, reconnecting with an early passion for medicine and pediatric care that had been present since childhood. She completed her nursing education while continuing to work professionally in theatre and now works as a registered nurse while completing graduate school.
At Vanderbilt University, Eloise specializes in pediatric primary care, with the long-term goal of practicing as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in pediatric urology. She plans to pursue additional training as a Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) and hopes to further specialize in women’s health, specifically in adolescent gynecology, to provide comprehensive, holistic care for adolescents—especially those with complex urologic and congenital conditions, including those in the bladder exstrophy community.
Eloise is passionate about combining clinical excellence, patient education, advocacy and long-term continuity of care. Through her work, she hopes to improve quality-of-life outcomes for pediatric urology patients and their families while contributing to research, education initiatives and multidisciplinary care within the field. Drawing from her background in performance and storytelling, Eloise believes the arts uniquely cultivate empathy, observation, communication and human connection—skills that continue to shape her approach to patient care and family advocacy within pediatric healthcare. She remains deeply connected to the arts community through teaching, choreography and mentorship, continuing to support young performers while building a career dedicated to service and healthcare.
She is deeply honored to receive this award and hopes to continue raising awareness of how skills developed through theater and dance—including empathy, communication, adaptability and storytelling—can translate meaningfully into the healthcare field while helping former performers recognize the value and versatility of their artistic backgrounds.
Daniela Maarraoui
Daniela Maarraoui A native of Houston, Texas, Daniela Maarraoui began her ballet training at the City Ballet of Houston at the age of four and continued there through eighteen. During her training, she attended summer intensives with Houston Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet and the HARID Conservatory, while also performing and competing nationally and internationally. In 2014, Daniela competed in the International Ballet Competition, representing the United States, and performed at the 2016 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Daniela later joined The Joffrey Ballet as a trainee and was promoted to the Studio Company, where she performed and toured in productions including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle and Romeo & Juliet. She also spent time as a guest artist with Semperoper Ballet in Dresden, Germany.
In 2019, Daniela joined Milwaukee Ballet, where she performed in a wide range of classical and contemporary works, including Coppélia, The Firebird, Swan Lake, Dracula, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. She was also featured in soloist roles, such as Clara in Michael Pink’s The Nutcracker, the Pas de Trois in Swan Lake and a soloist role in La Bayadère. Daniela retired from Milwaukee Ballet in August 2025 after a rewarding professional dance career.
During her time with Milwaukee Ballet, Daniela was first introduced to Tour de Force, a program that uses dance as both physical therapy and creative movement for children with disabilities. Witnessing the impact that movement, artistry and individualized care could have on children and their families deeply inspired her and sparked her interest in physical therapy. Through this experience, Daniela discovered a passion for helping others improve their quality of life through movement and rehabilitation.
Daniela is now pursuing a Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Baylor University with the goal of working with student and professional dancers to prevent and rehabilitate injuries, as well as using physical therapy and movement as a tool to support individuals with disabilities. She hopes to combine her background in dance with evidence-based rehabilitation to help dancers recover safely, improve performance, and sustain healthy careers, while also creating meaningful opportunities for individuals with disabilities to experience the physical and emotional benefits of movement. Through her future work as a physical therapist, Daniela aims to provide compassionate, individualized care that empowers patients to build confidence, improve mobility and enhance their overall quality of life.
Norika
Norika is a former soloist dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, where she danced professionally for eleven seasons. She began her ballet training in Japan at the age of two and continued her training at Yuki Miho Ballet, Palos Verdes Ballet, Lauridsen Ballet Centre and San Francisco Ballet School before joining the company. Her repertoire includes principal and soloist roles in works by Helgi Tómasson, William Forsythe, George Balanchine, John Cranko, Alexei Ratmansky and Christopher Wheeldon. Some of her favorite roles include ‘Olga’ in Cranko’s Onegin and principal roles in Forsythe’s Blake Works I and Tómasson’s Trio. She also collaborated on new creations with choreographers such as Justin Peck, Arthur Pita and Jamar Roberts.
Alongside her performing career, Norika graduated summa cum laude from Saint Mary's College of California with a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts. Her experiences navigating injuries and the physical demands of ballet inspired her to pursue a career in physical therapy, and she will begin the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Samuel Merritt University this fall. Through her future work as a physical therapist, she hopes to help individuals return to the activities they love while promoting long-term health and sustainable training practices within the performing arts community.
Daniel Torres
Daniel Torres Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Daniel Torres is a New York City–based performing artist whose career has spanned more than 25 years. Daniel’s passion for musical theater and dance began at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida. He went on to earn a BFA from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and joined Actors’ Equity Association one year before graduating in 2001.
Daniel’s first major role was playing “Scrooge at 18” during the final two seasons of Susan Stroman’s A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden. He later made his Off-Broadway debut in the original company of Altar Boyz, where he also served as the original dance captain. On Broadway, Daniel has appeared in seven original Broadway companies, including The Woman in White, The Pirate Queen, Evita, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, The Music Man, Sweeney Todd and Tammy Faye. He also spent three years touring nationally with Wicked. In recognition of his dedication and service to the Broadway community, Daniel was honored as the recipient of the Legacy Robe on the opening night of Sweeney Todd.
Throughout his performing career, Daniel remained deeply committed to volunteerism and community engagement. Through Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, he helped spearhead fundraising efforts that frequently led his productions to top fundraising recognition and later served on the organization’s National Grants Committee for several years. He has also spent more than 15 years as a board member and program creator for Sing For Your Seniors. These experiences greatly inspired and shaped Daniel’s next professional chapter.
In Fall 2026, Daniel will begin graduate studies toward his Master of Social Work degree. He looks forward to joining New York City’s outstanding community of social workers and ultimately earning his LCSW in order to provide supportive mental health services for vulnerable communities, with a particular focus on older adult, Latino, and LGBTQ+ populations.