UK alum and Miss Kentucky USA Connor Perry: A tale of talent and triumph

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 18, 2024) — As a mentor and role model, University of Kentucky alumna Connor Perry is using her new title to inspire young girls across the Commonwealth, proving that dreams can become reality.  

Perry, a recent graduate of the UK College of Arts and Sciences, has brought honor to her state by winning, in her first ever pageant competition, the Miss Kentucky USA 2024 title.  

In recognition of National Kentucky Day, observed on Oct. 19 to mark the historic day Kentucky became a state in 1792, Perry shares what it means to be Miss Kentucky USA, her passion and advocacy for the arts, and her mission to show up and give back to Kentuckians across the Commonwealth. 

While being on stage isn’t new for Perry, competing in pageants was a whole new world.

“I never really had a background in pageantry. But I’ve always had a background in performance. I’ve been a dancer my whole life,” she said.

In addition to the duties that accompany her crown, Perry is a dancer at Movement Continuum, a contemporary dance company in Lexington, Kentucky. She doubles as the primary ballet instructor and mentor at Moving North, a cost-free dance training program offered through Movement Continuum. That program is for girls ages 10-18 living in Lexington communities with unequal access to the arts.   

“Our goal is to remove as many barriers as we can for the girls to be able to just come to the studio, and only worry about honing their craft,” she said. “Anything that we can do to make it about the dancing — and purely just the dancing for them — we do, and that’s important to me, because that’s what it should be.” 

Moving North also provides its dancers with access to resources that can help them build momentum toward successfully chasing their dreams, like one-on-one mentoring, professional headshots and education in writing resumes and professional bios. By giving her dancers a step-up with professional skills and knowledge at a young age, Perry hopes to change their lives in more ways than can be achieved through dance instruction alone.  

Perry says her work at Moving North is something she holds very close to her heart.

“Dance is not something that has always been historically accessible or equitable. Especially for people who are from Kentucky and from rural areas.

“I worked [here] long before Miss Kentucky was even in the picture… it was a job that I kind of fell into because I wasn’t going to continue dancing, but dance found its way back into my life,” she said. “And then Miss Kentucky came into the picture. And so [now], I can spread that advocacy even wider.” 

With pageants or dance competitions, measuring success — whether in the form of a crown accompanied by a sash, a bouquet of flowers, a new title, or a trophy or medal — is simple. When it comes to her advocacy, Perry uses different metrics to measure the impact she has.  

“Seeing how incredible they are, you know, transforming as dancers, as ballet dancers,” she said. “Ballet is so hard, and these girls are coming from backgrounds that they’ve never danced before in their life — like, some of them have never set foot in the dance studio in their life, and to be teaching them ballet, first of all, is like an anomaly, because… ballet is so hard. It is like conceptually, I’d say, the hardest genre to even grasp.” 

As a teacher and mentor, Perry understands well the importance of having people in your corner rooting you on and helping you succeed. That’s why she believes so much in her dancers and encourages them to pursue their dreams — if they can learn ballet, she thinks, there is nothing they cannot achieve. 

“I wouldn’t be here today, sitting in front of you as Miss Kentucky USA, if I didn’t have people in a village who made it possible for me to pursue my dreams.” 

But sometimes believing in herself proved to be a challenge.

“I absolutely did not think I would win,” Perry said as she recalled her experience competing as a pageant newcomer.  

“Anyone backstage can tell you: I was on my hands and knees praying to make top 12 because of all the people who had supported me and donated and sponsored me. I was like, ‘I have to give them something’… Because, like I said, I was completely new to this.”  

Some may call it beginner’s luck, but Perry attributes it to her ability to ignore the negative thoughts of self-doubt and familiar feeling of impostor syndrome.  

“With anything novel comes a learning curve,” she said. “I was prepared for that.”  

It was important for her to approach the opportunity with her head held high and a clear mindset.  

“I’m going to give it my very best. I’m just going to do me and hope for the best. I came prepared — it’s not like I just showed up, and you know, flew by the seat of my pants. I put in the work. I did walk training. I did the interview prep. And [went] into it as prepared as I could be.”

The hard work paid off, and Perry went on to represent Kentucky at the 2024 Miss USA Pageant, where she again made her state proud by becoming the first Kentucky delegate to be crowned 1st-runner-up. Kentucky has won the Miss USA title twice before, most recently by UK alumna Elle Smith (2022) and Russell Springs native Tara Conner (2006). 

Perry’s love for Kentucky and its people runs deep. And she was able to showcase that love for the Bluegrass during the Miss USA pageant. 

“I’ve just been really proud because I literally grew up here. This is my home. At Miss USA, specifically, is where I really felt most proud,” she said. “We had [a] state costume, so I got to bring a little bit of the Bluegrass spirit to this stage. [My] costume was Kentucky Derby-themed, you know — something we’re really famous for, and it’s globally known. And it’s like, that is my home state — like, that’s where I live. I feel so proud to be able to represent all the things that I love about Kentucky and all the things that I find so amazing about it.” 

She finds joy passing on that love for Kentucky as a relatable role model for her mentees at Moving North and young women throughout the state. She’s passionate about providing the kind of representation she longed for as a young dancer. 

“I’m teaching a class full of young Black girls,” she adds. “It’s not only healing for them, but it’s also healing for me, you know. It’s, like, very special to see. And because, like, the figures that I had to look up to were completely out of reach: Misty Copeland, Alicia Graf Mack, all these women who are so far into being successful and these figures that are untouchable. 

“[And now], these girls — they have their own ballet teacher, who’s a successful black dancer. That speaks volumes and really helps make [their dreams] achievable.”  

While the current seasons of dancers at Moving North are all young women of color, the nonprofit program is founded on the principle that art should not be a privilege but is instead a necessity. Moving North is for all girls in the Lexington community. 

For young girls across the Commonwealth who are unsure of the direction of their journeys and seeking advice on how to trust themselves and their own decisions, Perry leaves them with these words: 

“Just try everything... Just put yourself out there as much as you possibly can because you will quickly learn what you like, what you don’t like and what you want to do.” 

She adds, “And that can be hard, and that can be scary. But in the end, you will be so thankful that you did. Because you also learn so much about yourself and about so many other things along the way. No matter what comes out of it, you will have learned something, and you will have gained something, so you really can't lose by putting yourself out there.”