Dancers stood in the curtains on stage at the Civic Center waiting for their numbers to be called.
"A little nervous but very excited," 12-year-old performer, Tresean Upshaw, said.
Performers from studios around the Lima area came together Sunday to compete in the first ever local dance competition.
"We all travel to compete in dance competitions all throughout the state, throughout the country really," said Lyn Mulcahy, one of the directors of the Dance Prodigy Competition. 13-18
She says that's why her and two other dance teachers decided to start the Dance Prodigy Competition here in Lima.
"People can just come to the civic center and see what a great facility we have here and all the great local talent," Mulcahy said.
Upshaw, with the Arts Center, took the stage with a musical theatre piece.
"I really love dance and it really expresses my feelings, and I really love it so much," Upshaw said.
Other dancers were equally enthusiastic about getting their chance to wow the judges.
"Doing a solo just makes me feel like I have the spotlight all to myself, so I just like going out on stage and performing," 10-year-old Mia Velasquez said.
This year five studios participated and 65 dances were performed. In coming years they're really hoping..
"To draw dancers from maybe Toledo, Dayton area, here to Lima," Mulcahy said.
And it seems the competition already has some long time competitors lined up.
"I really love to dance and when I get older I want to be on broadway, so I thought this would be a good warm up for me to keep doing solos," Velasquez said.
"I want to be a famous dancer, singer, actor," Upshaw said.
They will hold the competition again in February of 2017.
