Belo Horizonte (Brazil) (AFP) – Growing up, Dyhan Cardoso had every reason to quit ballet: the only black boy in a class of white girls, the Brazilian favela kid had to wake up early every morning for dance lessons. 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. “He joined the project when he was five to six years old and hasn’t stopped to this day,” says Cardoso’s mother.