Whitleigh Moore has studied dance for 14 years and knows the sacrifices excellence demands.

“If I’m not at home, I’m here,” she said, relaxing in a chair in the office at Starzz Performing Arts Centre in Pell City.  “I miss out on some things because of that.  It’s a sacrifice to see my friends out shopping or with jet skis, but I’ve got trophies in my hand.”

As a member of the American Dance Team, Moore helped claim the World Dance Grand Prix Championship’s Eastern Division trophy during the international competition last month in Cesena, Italy.  

The team performed 12 dance routines comprised of such styles as jazz, lyrical and tap as it competed against performers from Guam, Finland, Iceland, Australia, and South Africa.  

“It was very, very fun,” Moore said.  “We got to experience what other people describe as dance and incorporate different parts of the world into how we look at performing.  No matter where you’re from, dance is about emotion.  You don’t do it.  You live it.”

A senior at Oxford High School, she described dance as “hard, but it’s very rewarding.  I’ve been through a lot in my life, and dance has helped me deal with it.  If I’m upset, I can stomp it out in hip-hop.  If I’m happy, I can express it through lyrical or contemporary.  You can live through whatever type of dance you relate to at that time.”

Moore began training at Starzz when she was eight, and she was immediately a standout, said owner and instructor Starr Gaither-Kendrick.

“Every year, there’s always a kid who shines, and since the day Whitleigh’s mom brought her here, she’s had the wow factor.  She dances with passion and heart.  She can do whatever she wants, whether it’s dancing for scholarships or on Broadway.”

Moore’s plans involve studying physical therapy, and she hopes dance scholarships will help her pay for college.  “I might teach dance as a side job.  I just know I want to keep dancing as long as I can.”