Help Kiwi ballerina compete in the world's most prestigious ballet competitions

Lauren Wycherley is a young dancer who through countless hours of hard training since she was 8 years old, is now competing at the very highest level internationally.

Lauren is one of only 10 15-year-olds selected globally for the world's most prestigious ballet competition, the Prix de Lausanne, in Switzerland, next January.

It's an international ballet competition open to pre-professional dancers aged 15 to 18, aiming to discover, promote and support the world's finest ballet dancers.

425 applicants (333 girls and 92 boys) from 43 countries applied, and only 88 dancers from 19 countries were selected.

Lauren is the only NZ girl to be selected, and now her training moves to a whole new level, getting up at 6.30am every day for training before beginning her regular dance classes.

She also won a spot in the finals of the world's largest ballet competition, the Youth America Grand Prix. Lauren is the only senior NZ girl to qualify, and she will compete in New York next April.

Ballet training is very tough, and hugely expensive. Lauren's family sacrificed a lot in order for her to reach this level, and the financial pressure is often heavy. A budget of around $35000 is needed for accommodation, studio hire and flights to Switzerland.

A further $15000 is needed to get her to New York next April.