Working in the bar his parents own in the favela, Dyhan Cardoso squeezed in dance practice between cooking, waiting tables, making delivery runs and staffing the cash register
Growing up, Dyhan Cardoso had every reason to quit ballet: the only black boy in a class of white girls, the Brazilian favela kid faced mockery for dancing instead of playing football.
But there was no stopping his raw passion for dance, which has now landed the 19-year-old phenom a contract with one of the premiere US companies, Atlanta Ballet.