A North Texas pre-teen won the Hope Award at the Youth America Grand Prix competition earlier this month.
Morgan Ligon, 11, won the award while representing Elite Classical Coaching in Frisco. The coaching company is “an award winning pre-professional ballet training school,” according to its website.
The Hope Award is given to those in the “pre-competitive” age division, meaning those younger than 13. The winner is awarded a cash prize of $300.
According to Catherine Lewellen, the director of Elite Classical Coaching, the award that Ligon won is about awarding young people who have the potential to succeed at a high level in ballet, reported NBC DFW.
“I didn’t expect it, but I was happy that I got it,” Ligon told NBC DFW. Ligon has been offered scholarships based on her dance performance, and she is “really excited to see what’s next.”
She performed Variation from Le Corsaire and Variation from Satanella.
Ligon earned her place in the finals by winning in February at the semi-finals, which took place in Dallas. The finals took place in Tampa, and Ligon beat dancers from Japan, Indonesia, Hungary, Romania, and the U.S.
Ligon also ranked in the top 12 of her age division for both the contemporary and classical dance categories.
She moved to North Texas from New York to study ballet with Lewellen.
“She has a natural artistry about her. Some people have it. She has it! That’s something I feel God has blessed her with. She was made to dance,” Lewellen said of Ligon to NBC DFW.
Keenan Mentzos, 13, also from Elite Classical Coaching, placed in the top 12 classical performances for men in his age division. Mentzos also received second place in the contemporary duet category.