Local ballerinas want to inspire little girls during Black History Month

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Some local dancers from the Florida Ballet and Bravo School of Dance did a photoshoot recently in honor of Black History Month in hopes to inspire others.

These ballerinas -- Lauren, Cailyn, Zahria, Leeanaca and Lauren -- are between the ages of 13 and 15.

The photographer, Nicole Hartley, said two of the girls are her daughters

Hartley said they “are working so hard to make it in the ballet world where they won’t necessarily be accepted everywhere they go.”

She said their “strength and beauty needed to be seen and celebrated.”

The teens hope their pictures inspire other little girls to explore the world of ballet and dance.