By COLLEEN CURRAN
Richmond Times-Dispatch
When he was 15, Sam Merkle moved from Richmond to New York City to attend the prestigious School of American Ballet.
Now, he is one of the primary dancers featured on Disney+âs new docu-series âOn Pointe,â produced by Ron Howard.
âOn Pointeâ follows young people pursuing their dreams of becoming ballet dancers. The series shows younger students as they rehearse and perform in âThe Nutcrackerâ and older students like Sam as they rigorously train for a professional ballet career, ideally in the New York City Ballet. But there are only a few slots and the competition is fierce.