LIVONIA, Mich. (FOX 2) – A Metro Detroit teen overcomes obstacles to achieve his dream of being accepted into The Juilliard School.

“At first didn’t even know I wanted to go to college, I’m like I’m just going to LA and live my life,” said Arthur Gee.

But Arthur, or LA which stands for Little Arthur as he is affectionately called by family and friends, would soon have an awakening.

“Joining this studio, Angie Hanh’s Academy of Dance, I started off with hip-hop but Ms. Angie was like you need to take a ballet class,” he said. “I was like, I don’t know – I don’t think boys do ballet.”

Arthur would soon discover that ballet was indeed his calling.

But as he began to explore ballet he was diagnosed with scoliosis during Covid. The condition means that he has a sideways curvature of the spine that causes pain.

“My back started to hurt really bad, like to the point I couldn’t even dance sometimes,” he said.

But Arthur continued to push and dance his way through it.

“It was like finding a way to persevere through that pain,” Arthur said.

The commitment to his craft allowed Arthur to stand out among other dancers.

“I’m just so proud of everything he accomplishes,” said his mother, Jahmira Taylor. 

Arthur started teaching at his dance school and the high school student – who at first was going to forego college – decided to apply to The Juilliard School, a prestigious performing arts school in New York.

When this 18-year-old received a phone call that he had been accepted, he knew the hard work was paying off.

“That’s all I could say was wow thank you so much for this opportunity,” he said.

But this opportunity comes with a price.

“I was able to win a $52,000 scholarship but that’s just for tuition and housing is still a lot more than that,” Arthur said.

Arthur set up a GoFundMe account hoping the community works to uplift him so he can accomplish his next move.

“I’m studying to get my bachelor of fine arts degree to become a professorial dancer, hopefully join a company, and then eventually become a choreographer,” he said.

If you would like to contribute to Arthur’s GoFundMe, CLICK HERE.

“There’s really no point of stopping when there’s so much further to go,” he said.

DETROIT (FOX 2) – Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect involved in a fatal hit-and-run.

A 59-year-old woman was struck by a black Ford Edge and killed while crossing the street in the 13800 block of Gratiot Avenue near Park Grove, according to a Detroit police release. The incident took place around 3:40 p.m. on Thursday.

It is still unknown who was driving the vehicle. The driver fled the scene.

The woman was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said. The suspect’s vehicle sustained damage to the front-end due to the accident, and had a spare tire on the rear passenger’s side. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Detroit police’s Fatal Squad Unit at 313-596-2260, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up, or DetroitRewards.tv.

A $500 reward is being offered for information. The case number, to include with tips, is 2406130262.

A black Ford Edge involved in a fatal hit-and-run in Detroit on Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Provided by the Detroit Police Department)

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Detroit Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe, who ranks as the second-best pitching prospect in baseball behind only Pittsburgh Pirates standout Paul Skenes, is going back to High-A West Michigan.

The 21-year-old won’t be there long, but will begin his rehab assignment Tuesday night as the starter for the Whitecaps in return from a left hamstring strain. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park.

Eventually, Jobe will return to Double-A Erie upon completion of his rehab assignment.

Jobe, whom the Tigers selected No. 3 overall in the 2021 draft, suffered the hamstring injury May 1 in his fifth start of the season, all with the SeaWolves. He has a 2.16 ERA with 10 walks and 24 strikeouts across 16⅔ innings in the 2024 season.

MORE ABOUT JOBE’S 2024: Innings plan for Jackson Jobe won’t be impacted by hamstring injury

Jobe is the No. 10 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and the No. 1 prospect in the Tigers’ organization. He registered a 2.82 ERA with 11 walks and 103 strikeouts across 79⅔ innings in 20 starts last season.

This story will be updated.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.

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