For those of us with two left feet, the idea of winning a state dance championship is no more reachable than an elusive pot of gold.
For Clarkston High School senior Ashley Shaw, winning is a yearly occurrence.
Ashley, 17, is the first dancer to be crowned with the four top titles available in the Dancer Masters of Michigan Miss Dance contest, held annually since 1966. She was crowned Petite Miss Dance in 1999, Junior Miss Dance in 2001 and Teen Miss Dance in 2003.
Ashley completed her list of titles when she was named ‘Miss Dance of Michigan? on Jan. 29. With each title, she continued on to the national level and placed as either a first or second runner up.
‘I started dancing when I was three,? said Ashley.
‘I remember my first recital, they couldn’t drag me off the stage,? Ashley laughed. ‘Everybody was suppose to hold hands, walk out on stage and bow, and then walk off. They couldn’t get me to come off!?
Ashley said she loves performing and being in front of a crowd. Her first experience with dance was with Independence Township parks and recreation.
‘At three years old, it was the only thing out there for her to do,? said mom Lee Ann. ‘She did other things, but it always came back to, ‘Okay, that was fun. Can I take another dance class?? We just kept letting her.?
Ashley has danced at Terri Newman’s Dance Shoppe ever since her first experience. At age 10, she qualified for her first national competitions.
‘She qualified for two that year. We did them back to back,? said Lee Ann, who talked about how she quit work that summer in order to travel with Ashley. ‘It was a three week trip.?
In addition to Dancer Masters, Ashley also competes nationally in the American Dance Awards, where she has won Junior and Teen National Dancer of the Year.
‘I think that’s actually my favorite competition,? said Ashley. ‘I hope it’s okay to say that, but those are the most exciting because those are where I have gone the farthest.?
Ashley said she studies all kinds of dance, but prefers lyrical and jazz. She practices around 20 hours a week from September to June, and travels for competitions during the summer. This past year alone, Ashley had 20 different costumes for her performances.
Her future goals include dancing on Broadway. This fall she will attend Chapman University in California to major in dance. She will leave behind in Clarkston mom Lee Ann, dad Dan and brother Jordan, 15.
‘It wasn’t anything we’d ever thought she would pursue, but we’ve always supported her in this. If that’s where her goals lie, then she can make it happen,? said Lee Ann.
‘All I want is to be on stage,? said Ashley. ‘Whatever it takes, I want to be on stage.?