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In this Aug. 8, 2014 photo, girls participate in a ballet class at the House of Dreams dance studio in Crackland, one of the roughest neighborhoods in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. Growing up amid drug dealers and addicts, some girls have yet to learn how to read. Yet they are learning the graceful art of ballet courtesy of a local church group that also offers them food, counseling and Bible studies. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)![Brazil_Favela_Ballet_Vros__1_]()
In this Aug. 8, 2014 photo, girls sit together as they take a ballet class at the House of Dreams dance studio in Crackland, one of the roughest neighborhoods of downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. The time spent focused on grace and control is far removed from the girls daily lives. Many are being raised by parents who are recovering from or are addicted to drugs. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)![Brazil_Favela_Ballet_Vros__3_]()
In this Aug. 6, 2014 photo, girls learn ballet at The House of Dreams dance studio in Crackland, one of the roughest neighborhoods of downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. The young dancers hope to catch the eye of a respected Brazilian ballerina who recruits dozens of disadvantaged girls for an annual workshop. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)![Brazil_Favela_Ballet_Vros__2_]()
In this Aug. 6, 2014 photo, ballet instructor Joana Machado instructs young girls at her House of Dreams dance studio in Crackland, one of the roughest neighborhoods of downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. We see all kinds of stories here. From girls who havent showered in days, who dont know how to brush their teeth, who are locked inside their homes all day, said Machado. I feel always responsible for their lives, always worried about what may happen. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)![Brazil_Favela_Ballet_Vros__4_]()
In this Aug. 8, 2014 photo, a church worker walks ballet student Maria home after her ballet class at The House of Dreams dance studio in a neighborhood overrun by crack addicts, called "Crackland," in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. Girls growing up in favelas are more likely to become pregnant as teens, and the last 2010 census found the rate of illiteracy was twice as high in the slums than in other areas of Brazil. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)![Brazil_Favela_Ballet_Vros__7_]()
In this Aug. 6, 2014 photo, girls participate in a ballet class at the House of Dreams dance studio in Crackland, one of the roughest neighborhoods of downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. Some of the students live with relatives who are drug dealers, or they have been abandoned and taken in by neighbors. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)![Brazil_Favela_Ballet_Vros__5_]()
In this Aug. 8, 2014 photo, girls participate in a ballet class at the House of Dreams dance studio in Crackland, one of the roughest neighborhoods in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. Twice a week, more than 20 girls, ages 5 through 12, board a Volkswagen van for a 10-minute ride to class, where they put on pink or black tights and ballet shoes donated by a dance wear store. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)![Brazil_Favela_Ballet_Vros]()
In this Aug. 6, 2014 photo, girls jump rope during ballet class at the House of Dreams dance studio in one of the roughest neighborhoods, known as Crackland, in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil. Russians largely introduced classical ballet to Brazil in the 1920s, when dancers began immigrating and established dance companies in cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)Girls From Brazil's Favelas Find Escape In Ballet
Past the graffiti-covered overpass and subway tracks, in a slum penned in by high-rises, 8-year-old Gabriela Aparecida fixes her curly hair into a bun as she waits for a ride to her new favorite activity: ballet.
Move Forward
- Girls From Brazil's Favelas Find Escape In Ballet
