MEET THE BADASS BALLERINA WHO WON'T LET SCOLIOSIS CRUSH HER DREAMS

GIGI CROUCH, 17, IS CONQUERING HER DIAGNOSIS ONE PLIÉ AT A TIME.

Gigi Crouch, 17, wins at Instagram and life. Her account, @scolerina9247, documents her badass dance adventures as a ballet student living with scoliosis -- aka a curved spine.

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Crouch started ballet dancing when she was 11 and is currently in her sixth year of training. She's currently a student in the Professional Division at Pacific Northwest Ballet.
"I originally started ballet ... to help with my figure skating, to be a more graceful skater," Crouch wrote to MTV News in an email. "I wasn't very serious about ballet in the beginning."
Now she's now pursuing ballet full-time and posting amazing photos for the world to see along the way.

Crouch was diagnosed with scoliosis at 13, and she currently has three major curves in her spine. After her diagnosis, she wore a back brace for 18 to 20 hours per day and started physical therapy, she told us.
"My experience has been very positive; my mother wore a brace for four years when she was in her early teenage years so I had heard all the stories from her experience with a brace, as well as some inside knowledge," Crouch said.

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The insanely talented dancer hopes to be accepted into a professional ballet company after completing her training.

"Scoliosis impacts my training in a very mild way," Crouch explained. "Some sections of my back are tighter than others, which can make some positions hard to achieve. I do not believe that anybody has doubted my abilities because of my scoliosis."
Crouch trained with a brace for three years and is now brace-free. She got into Instagram two years ago and continues to dazzle her followers with amazing pics taken by herself, her friends and even professional photographers -- an interest she's exploring as well.
"When I am not dancing, I love exploring photography. I’ve always been intrigued by the stories pictures can tell," Crouch revealed.
We can understand why. Seriously, this girl's Insta should be displayed in a gallery somewhere. She's posed for photoshoots galore, and the pics are absolutely stunning. Check out some examples below, and visit her page for links to the photographers' Instagrams.

"I have one main piece of advice for others diagnosed with scoliosis: join together with others experiencing the same journey that you are," Crouch told us. She called out the Curvy Girls group, which offers virtual and in-person support, for being "a huge part of [her] scoliosis journey."
Crouch was also recently featured on Instagram's official blog, where she spoke about the motivation behind her goals.
"I dance because it feels natural," she wrote for the blog. "Working hard in class and seeing results gives me a feeling of absolute satisfaction ... I hope that my pictures inspire others, and show them that nothing can stop you if you have passion."