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Dancing is one activity Kiera Brinkley "shouldn't" be able to do.

In a wheelchair since a quadruple amputation at age 2, the 16-year-old has nonetheless stricken the word "disability" from her vocabulary to pursue a dance career. Recently she proved just how able she is by performing at Juilliard, the prestigious New York City arts school.

Why We Love Her: As a toddler, Brinkley, of Portland, Ore., contracted an infection called pneumococcosis and lost her arms and legs. That didn't stop her from learning to love to dance, especially to R&B music. While she's worked with coaches, she usually choreographs her own routines, which include some pretty intense acrobatic moves.