Emily Kikta, an advanced student at the Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh in Castle Shannon and ninth-grade student at Upper St. Clair High School, has been chosen to compete in the Youth America Grand Prix Finals, April 16 - 21 in New York City.

The Youth America Grand Prix is the most prestigious ballet competition in the United States, and having finished in the top twelve in the senior category of the regional semifinals in Philadelphia this past weekend, Emily will now be competing against other top dancers of her age, both from the United States and abroad. Winners of the Youth America Grand Prix receive scholarships to such schools as the Royal Ballet School in London, the National Ballet School of Canada, and the American Ballet Theater School in New York City, and many have gone on to illustrious in some of the world's foremost professional ballet companies.