A local dance studio is heading to The Big Easy to put its talents on display.

Dancers from The Dance Studio will perform at halftime of the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The game will pit No. 11 Virginia Tech and No. 13 Michigan in the Mercedes Super Dome.

Amy Johnston, bookkeeper for The Dance Studio, said this has been something planned over the course of a year.

“BGA, Bowl Games of America, contacted us last year and asked us to come perform for them, but they contacted us so late in the year that we weren’t able to pull it all together, so we told them to call us back this year and they contacted us,” Johnston said. “We started corresponding in December of last year getting ready, and we started the initial process in February.”

The studio’s owner and dance teacher Rachel Colley has taught the 13 girls, ages 10 to 16, and the group left for New Orleans Friday.

Johnston said the dancers have been raising money for the trip all year long.

“First deposits were due in March and we’ve been fund raising all summer into the dance season up until two weeks ago to get all the money together and get everything started,” Johnston said.

Johnston, whose daughter Kinsley will be performing with the group, said it’s an exciting time for the dancers and their parents.

“It’s an experience of a lifetime,” Johnston said. “They are all extremely excited and can’t wait to get there. It’s awesome. We’re very, extremely excited.”