Dance can take you places. That is what Wesley Henderson, of Lincolnville, has been hearing from his dance teachers since he started dancing at the age of six. Now it looks like that statement is coming true as this 12 year old dancer prepares to travel to the other side of the country this July for the dance opportunity of a lifetime in Los Angeles with The Hollywood Summer Tour.

Wesley has a passion for dance and typically dances over eight hours a week at Studio Red in Rockland. He is also a part of their award winning competition team and has been for the past six years. The competition team competes throughout New England at Regional dance competitions each spring. During their most recent competition in April, Wesley was awarded one of five $500 scholarships to the prestigious Hollywood Summer Tour in Los Angeles, CA. This was quite an honor as this competition fielded hundreds of other dancers throughout New England at a competition with over 550 dances. Groove competition, held at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center, offers free morning master classes with the judges so that dancers can continue to improve their technique. It was during the Sunday teen/senior jazz class that Wesley was noticed by the instructor, Anthony Raimondi. The award itself was presented later in the day at the awards ceremony.

The Hollywood Summer Tour is a week-long dance workshop that includes multiple dance classes in all genres of dance with some of the biggest names in the commercial dance world, including some who have appeared on the hit show "So You Think You Can Dance". It also includes a video reel for his portfolio, professional head shots, educational seminars, and the opportunity to participate in National Dance Day with the Dizzy Feet Foundation.

Wesley, who is homeschooled in Lincolnville with his two younger brothers, is determined to make this trip happen. While the $500 scholarship is significant, the trip itself is a huge expense for his family, so he is doing what he can to raise the money himself. He set up his own GoFundMe page that he updates regularly. He is also planning fundraisers in both Camden and Rockland over the next two months. He is also hoping to acquire some local business sponsors. Parties interested in helping Wesley or learning more about his campaign can visit https://www.gofundme.com/kcxxrx8k.