Catie Robinson

When Jessica Wang was 14, she found herself in a position that many dancers find relatable: Dance felt like her whole identity. “When I introduced myself, the first thing I would say is that I’m a dancer. It got to a point where I felt like dance defined me too much,” she says. Wang, now 17, studies at Etoile Dance Academy in Houston during the academic year and with the Atlanta Professional Dance Academy each summer, and she participates in ballet competitions like Youth America Grand Prix.

Eighteen-year-old tap dancer Rio Gomez used to shy away from the spotlight, but the spotlight keeps shining on her and her skills. When the Fullerton, California–native was younger, she didn’t always believe in herself. “My teachers brought me up, when I didn’t have much confidence in my dancing,” she says. Since then, Gomez has taken big strides: She won a 2026 YoungArts Award and, in May, was named Artist of the Year for Dance by the Orange County Register.

Dutch National Ballet principal Riho Sakamoto’s dancing is precise, clean, and engaging, and almost as eclectic as her personal style. Her repertoire ranges from contemporary works like David Dawson’s Empire Noir to her upcoming debut as Nikiya in La Bayadère. Recently, she visited Houston to perform in the Youth America Grand Prix annual Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow gala, where she and fellow Dutch National principal Constantine Allen danced José Martinez’s Delibes Suite.