Dearborn Dance Studio Protege Brings Pride to Community

While she may still have to win over the judges on FOX's hit reality show, "So You Think You Can Dance," Amy Yakima's longtime instructors at Noretta Dunworth School of Dance in Dearborn say their former protege is poised to be America's next top dancer.

"There's no question in my mind that she could win the competition," instructor Loni Lane said.

Yakima participated in the show's 10th season casting call in May, and won a spot in the Las Vegas callback round after impressing the judges with her audition at the Fillmore in Detroit.

“You were absolutely spectacular,” judge Mary Murphy said after Yakima’s audition. “You make it look effortless. The hair went up on my arms and it doesn’t happen very often, I’ll be honest with you.”

Yakima and her two younger sisters, Emma and Lauren, have been dancing in Dearborn for more than a decade.

"I've been working with her since she was 3," Lane said. "Amy was exceptional from day 1. She is very different from the other dancers I've had. She is very talented and such a hard worker."

Lane said Yakima took classes five days a week in an effort to build up her skills and become a professional dancer after graduating from Northville High School.

"She did it all — ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical — you name it," Lane said.

The effort paid off, and during her senior year in high school, Yakima received a $44,000 scholarship to attend Marymount Manhattan College in New York. She currently works for West Coast Dance Explosion and travels across the United States to teach dance lessons.

"I'm so proud of Amy," Lane said. "I tell all of my students that if your goal is to graduate high school and have a professional career in dance, you can do it."

While it's not the first time a student from Noretta Dunworth School of Dance has auditioned for the show, Lane said having a student reach the callback round is a milestone.

"When they told Amy that she was going to Vegas, her parents, coaches and friends were sobbing and screaming," Lane said. "It's very exciting."

Lane boasts the success that she's had teaching dance over the years. Several of her former students have gone on to perform and compete at the national level, and some have even opened up their own studios.

"I love hearing about the lives of my students," she said. "They all come back to teach at the studio in Dearborn periodically. It's amazing to see where their passion has taken them."

"So You Think You Can Dance" airs on FOX at 8 p.m. Eastern time. The next episode will show on June 4, 2013. The schedule for Vegas Week auditions has not been announced.