White Plains Ballerina Winning at Age 8

When Sophia Romagnoli was two-years-old, an accident that would have left most other youngsters irked had just the opposite effect.

Sophia's mother, Natasha Romagnoli, brought her daughter to an abridged rendition of The Nutcracker tailored for kids—or so she thought.

The show turned out to be full-length, two-hours, and the kind of protracted spectacle that leaves young ladies cranky. But Sophia sat through the ballet in its entirety, enchanted.

"Ever since, she's been dancing around the house and imitating what she saw," said her mother.

The Romagnolis, who call White Plains home, have come a long way since that happy accident six years ago. Sophia—now eight, in third grade and homeschooled— is a tenacious and budding ballerina practicing about 17 hours each week at Scarsdale Ballet Studio.

"She started when she was five," explained Romagnoli. "And she's been at Scarsdale since September of 2011."

"That's when Sophia started seriously," she added.

And a recent string of performances have been Sophia's capstone—the youngster qualified to compete in the Youth America Grand Prix finals this week. The Grand Prix—the world's largest ballet competition—is held in New York City between April 12 and 18, on the heels of several stops around the world. Only 300 dancers will take part in the finals.

Sophia's recent performance in Philadelphia earned her a spot this week—a task that required a mix of intense practice and the slight modification of the rules.

"Sophia is one of the youngest competitors, and special permission was given for her to compete because she is under the age requirement," Romagnoli said. So, come next week, Sophia will dance in front of veteran judges from Paris and other artistic meccas.

Sophia will perform a package of two pieces: a classical variation from Sleeping Beauty, and a contemporary piece choreographed by her Scarsdale mentor, Diane White of Scarsdale Ballet Studio. White worked directly with George Balanchine, The Nutcracker's cardinal choreographer.

"They work together on a weekly basis, and it's an amazing experience for Sophia," Romagnoli said. Sophia also has help from Carmen Banu, a Romanian ballerina that works alongside White.

But when asked about her precocious capers, Sophia Romagnoli is modest.

"I'm nervous and excited at the same time," she said. "My favorite part of performing is all the adrenaline and getting to perform in front of people you may not know."

April's performances will be the last for a while, Natasha Romagnoli explained.

"This is the first competition she's done, and the last, for a while," she said. "Her teachers thought it would be a good experience."

"[Then], she's back in the studio with private coaching," Romagnoli added.