Driven by the dream of a college scholarship, high school dancers from around the world have traveled to Point Park University in Downtown Pittsburgh to perform for the country’s top dance schools during the National High School Dance Festival.

“It is an amazing way to get my name out to colleges and schools,” said Aalaila Jenkins, a student at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.

Students from the Newton High School of the Performing Arts in Sydney, Australia, have been attending the National High School Dance Festival for more than 20 years. “This is an amazing opportunity for us to come to America,” said Newton senior Tiana Meehan.

The 1,300 dance hopefuls, who arrived Wednesday and finish up Sunday, are performing for prestigious schools such as The Juilliard School and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. The dancers have the opportunity to take a master class with Parsons Dance, an international touring modern dance company in New York City, as well as various workshops.

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