Athena Nikolakopulos, a senior at Palos Verdes High School has studied ballet since the age of 2 ½, and at PSPA for the last 12 years.  After a brief but meaningful time working with Mrs. Patricia Stander, she became inspired to pursue dancing as a professional career.  She has since been studying intensely under Vera Ninkovic, Roberto Almaguer and Marat Daukayev.  Athena was recently offered a trainee position with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago and was also accepted to the year round Academy at Houston Ballet.  She has also made call backs for the dance department auditions for USC and Tisch in New York. Her recent roles at PSPA have been to dance Nikiya in the 2014 PSPA production of La Bayadere, Kingdom of the Shades, and Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy in Nutcracker 2014.  Athena will be competing at the YAGP prelims in Denver, Colorado this February.