GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) — Leila Pitcovich, a 14-year-old dancer who has performed in productions and dance companies along the Coast, will head to the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City this August.
Leila Pitcovich, a 14-year-old dancer who has performed in productions and dance companies along the Coast, will head to the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City this August.(WLOX)
Pitcovich has been accepted into the Jazz and Contemporary Trainee Program at the school, which is considered an Ivy League institution for dancers pursuing professional careers.
“It’s been a long journey, but it feels like it’s all been, like, getting me ready to start living my life,” Pitcovich said.
This is not Pitcovich’s first experience at Joffrey. She has spent several summers completing intensives at the school.
Four-year program with college credits
The program will last four years, and Pitcovich will finish with two years of college credit. She is scheduled to begin her freshman year of high school this fall, but will complete it online in New York while enrolled in the program.
Her mother, Heather Pitcovich, said being apart from her daughter is nerve-wracking, but she has seen Leila grow more independent during her summer programs.
“But seeing her so happy, it’s hard to explain, but her coming home, just seeing the different person that she was away, and how happy she was, and how much joy it brought her, and then the difference when she comes back home,” Heather Pitcovich said.
Her mother, Heather Pitcovich, said being apart from her daughter is nerve-wracking, but she has seen Leila grow more independent during her summer programs.(WLOX)
Heather Pitcovich said she worries about her daughter missing typical high school experiences.
“So, that’s what’s been hard. You know, you want your kids to have that normal life, right? The normal teenage years, the normal… I mean, you want to be there when they go on their first date or, you know, so… It’s going to be hard,” she said.
Leila Pitcovich said she is happy to trade experiences like prom for a life in New York City. She views her future dance career as more than a job.
“Well, I mean, anything that you put your mind to is possible. And just doing what you love, it’s more than a job. Just to be happy in what you’re doing,” she said.
Heather Pitcovich said she worries about her daughter missing typical high school experiences.(WLOX)
Leila Pitcovich will travel to New York City this week for orientation before starting the program in September.
See a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE.
Copyright 2026 WLOX. All rights reserved.