LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Not even brain cancer is keeping Jennah Blair off the stage. 

Jennah Blair has been dancing ballet longer than the high school senior could read, but a rare brian cancer diagnosis put her dancing career and much more at risk. 

“It revealed a character in her," Jennah's father Jimmy Blair told Spectrum News 1.

In April, Norton Hospital doctors determined a tumor was growing rapidly in Jennah's brain and emergency surgery was scheduled immediately. “They had to remove a tumor in between the two hemispheres of my brian," Jennah explained.

Following the operation at Norton Children's Hospital, the lifelong ballet dancer recovered in the hospital for several weeks. Miraculously, she was back on the stage before anyone expected but not only that, less than four weeks after surgery she was dancing during a full-scale production of "Peter Pan." Jennah played Wendy.

“Oh, it was unbelievable. I was unbelievably proud of her. The bravery of getting up there and doing it," Julie McWilliams of Louisville Academy of Fine Arts said. The Blair family says they are incredibly grateful for the support shown to Jennah by the Louisville Academy of Fine Arts and Manual Youth Performing Arts School.

Jennah Blair at Louisville Academy of Fine Arts (Spectrum News 1/Jonathon Gregg)

One of the side effects of Jennah's brain surgery was short-term memory loss. So, still foggy from the operation, one of Jennah's co-stars helped keep her on track during the performances. 

“The girl who played Peter Pan, she was on stage with me pretty much the whole time so she was able to talk to me during our show because we were also wearing masks and just remind me of little things like what scene was next and what the choreography started with," she said.

Weeks of chemotherapy followed the performance. 

“Wake up in the middle of the night and need medication, seeing the struggles she went through physically, and she always kept a smile on her face and she always took the next step," Jimmy said.

Jennah continued to inspire everyone around her and especially her doctors. 

“She has been extremely strong and very resilient and it seemed like as things got harder, what she did was show more strength and more resilience," Dr. Mustafa Barbour told Spectrum News 1.

Jennah finished chemotherapy this summer and doctors are beginning to scale back on other medications while the high school senior prepares for her next role in The Nutcracker.

“My dancing has improved a lot since my surgery because I’ve been able to come back and be dancing more," Jennah said.

Her father added, “Faith means a lot to us and she used that. I think we all leaned in a little more than we ever had. It showed a true strength, a true character. She is a special young girl.”