By Ariel Mallory

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MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) – A student at Davidson High School danced her way into history. Victoria Blakely will become the first African-American leader of the Mobile Ballet.

This month, she will play Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, with a unique touch of Mobile added to the story. Blakely says she was so excited when she heard the news that she was first selected.

“I felt honestly honored since I was the first to be the first,” said Blakely. “I was like, oh, this is going to give most students younger than me a chance to say oh I can be a ballerina too.”

Blakely landed other big roles with the Mobile Ballet, including The Nutcracker and Beauty and the Beast.

Her dance teacher and artistic director Katia Garza says she won this opportunity.

“She deserves it, she worked so hard,” Garza said. “She’s a girl who’s been with us for a few years and I thought it was a good time to introduce her and give her the opportunity because she deserves it.”

To highlight the port city, while the story of The Princess and the Frog is normally based in New Orleans, Garza says that this time around, she will be based in downtown Mobile.

Blakely hopes her role inspires others who wish to follow in her footsteps.

“Never stop trying. Always keep working hard and pushing yourself to your maximum every day,” Blakely said.

Anyone interested can attend the show at the Saenger Theater in Mobile from October 16-17.

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