A young man from the Mount Rushmore state will soon be premiering with a company that’s older than this country. David Hallberg joined the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet and will be part of the production of “Sleeping Beauty” shortly, and he’s the first American to join the troupe since American companies started recruiting Russian dancers 50 years ago.

The Washington Post ran a story from the Associated Press detailing Hallberg’s trajectory from South Dakota to American Ballet Theatre, then onto Moscow to dance with the company. Follow the link here to read more about Hallberg, his teachers and his journey to Russia.