South Dakota ballerina is getting ready to dance her way to London this spring.

Zoey Merkel, a young ballerina from Aberdeen, has been dancing since the age of two. Later this spring, her love for dance will take her to a world-class ballet school in London.

Dakota News Now reports that Merkel's incredible passion and God-given talent for dance are about to give her the opportunity of a lifetime.

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Aberdeen's Rising Star: Zoey Merkel Headed To London's Royal Ballet School

At a very young age Merkel began to take classes to help hone her love for dance, the more classes she took, the more she fell in love with the art of dancing.

According to Dakota News Now, all that hard work and dedication has really paid off, as Merkel was invited last summer to participate in an intensive program at Ellison Ballet in New York City.

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Before being chosen for Ellison Ballet, Merkel hadn't had the opportunity to participate in competitive dance. She and her grandmother, who also served as Merkel's chaperone, made the trek to New York in June for extensive dance training sessions.

Her Grandmother, Janis Heier told Dakota News Now that the whole experience was "Simply the Best!"

Merkel hopes to be a professional on-stage dancer someday.

Her quest to achieve that dream continues this April, as she makes another trip. This time across the pond to participate in the Royal Ballet School in London for their spring intensive.

Best of luck Zoey! Here's to hoping you have the time of your life!

Source: Dakota News Now

8 Celebrities You May to Run Into In South Dakota

You may not think of South Dakota as the crossroads of celebrity life. That's a good thing, we kind of like to live under the radar here on the upper plains.

But, living in South Dakota we are just a few degrees away from stardom. Not just because the author of the Little House on the Prairie books is from here. Or because every time Tom Brokaw shows up on TV, someone will say, "You know he's from Yankton."

We may not have as much of a chance at a celebrity sighting in South Dakota as we would in Minneapolis, but there are some famous personalities you may run into in the 605.

 

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