Behind the scenes with The Dance Club.

The Dance Club in Orem, Utah, is a great example of the adage, big things come in small packages. Despite its size (250 students) the studio's 30-member Dance Club Company swept awards at the 2005 New York City Dance Alliance regional competitions in Salt Lake City, San Francisco. and Denver, to qualify and compete in the national finals in July. There, they took national titles in multiple categories, plus the Critics Choice Award in the mini division (ages 7-10). Ten TDC students competed for the National Outstanding Dancer title in the mini, teen, and senior divisions.

How did they do it? According to TDC owner Sheryl Dowling, the key to the team's success is no big secret: It takes hard work.

A year of preparation begins with auditions in May. At TDC it's common for the same dancers to qualify for the company year after year. Following the auditions is a demanding schedule of 11 mandatory classes including four in ballet, plus jazz, gymnastics, and a dance essentials class, in which students learn about performers such as Bob Fosse and Martha Graham and experiment with improvisation.

"I think it is important for our kids to be able to do everything," says Dowling. "You should not just be a good dancer, but a well-rounded dancer."

The dancers also attend two dance conventions, perform at various local events, compete in one or two regional competitions, and travel to a national competition every other year.

"If we are going to a competition I want to go where the competition is really hard; where the best studios go," says Dowling. "I think it is very motivating and when my dancers and I see that, we all set our goals high."

Although some of the competition choreography is done by her staff, Dowling mostly brings in guest choreographers. "We try to get our kids choreography that will make them look as good as they can," she says. "And then of course we need costumes that will do the same."

TDC students draw up the designs themselves and one of the parents pitches in to sew them. "If you costume well, it will add to the picture you are trying to paint. It all plays a part--the music, the movement and the costume."

After the studio's traditional end of year concert in June, the dancers take a three week break before returning to the studio with sights set on nationals. Then, each morning for three weeks before the competition, the dancers attend a ballet class then jump into a day of rehearsals that can go from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"Most rehearsals are about an hour and a half for each dance, but it just depends on how much rehearsal a number needs," says Dowling. She employs a teaching faculty of 15 as well as a studio manager.

The final week of rehearsal is the much anticipated boot camp: a week where Army fatigues replace leotards and tights, and games take the place of traditional rehearsals.

"We are still rehearsing, but it's a different kind of rehearsal," says Dowling. She describes boot camp as a "silly" week full of team bonding activities and games that the dancers really look forward to. "It's fun for them and it's also a reward for their hard work."

While Dowling recommends competition experience at the national finals level, she warns that the right outlook and preparation is necessary. "There are teachers who won't take their kids if they are afraid they will get a silver or a bronze. But going and experiencing is really how you get better," she says.

Dowling also says it helps to discuss the subjectivity of judging with students. You never know what a certain judge is going to like on a certain day, she says, and advises not to base how well you did on whether or not you won, but on personal goals instead.

She cautions that all teams have to deal with criticism and disappointment at some point, but says a combination of being positive and honest will help in those situations.

"You don't have any credibility as a teacher if you tell them everything was perfect when it wasn't," she says. "Besides, kids know if they did a good job or not."

Regardless of whether they win or lose, Dowling and her dancers try to keep one goal in mind. "When we walk off that floor we want people in the audience to say, 'Wow, who were those girls?' Then we know we've done a good job."

Because of its location in Orem, TDC has a relatively small population to pull students from. But Dowling says they make up for it in the amount of work her dancers put into the art.

"These are great kids who are very committed," says Dowling. "They not only use their natural ability but they seriously work hard to learn the skills."

It also takes a committed teaching staff and supportive parents. "It's like a family. The kids are all really close and it shows on stage," Dowling says. "They want to be successful, so they are."

Kristen Maxwell is a journalism major at the University of Kansas and was a 2005 Dance Magazine intern.