See how girl went from 1-lb orphan to Nutcracker star

Looking at this graceful 11-year-old ballerina named Dinah Gardner, you might never guess the difficulties she faced growing up.

"She was almost a year old. She couldn't roll over, couldn't sit up. She had weighed less than two pounds when she came to the orphanage," says her mom, Michelle Gardner. Due to her developmental delays, Gardner and her husband admit it was a difficult decision to adopt her, but ultimately realized Dinah was supposed to be a part of their family.

Her growth sped up and pretty soon she had as much energy, if not more, than a child her age. To try and harness that energy, Dinah's parents enrolled her in a ballet class.

"At school I've always had so many distractions, in ballet I can focus," Dinah explains. Watch the video above to see this ballerina on the dance floor.

Her ballet class has worked wonders and now the girl who was always one step behind has taken the lead. She has a role in the local performance of The Nutcracker.

And while she still has some lingering issues, including ADHD and some neurological problems, she has come a long way since the Gardner's first found her in an Ethiopian orphanage. So what is her advice for other aspiring ballerinas out there?

"Never give up," says Dinah.

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