When just a 4-year-old, Cami Noonen took her first dance class.
Now, 20 years later, Noonen is taking her love of children and dance to the next level and opening Cami’s Dance Studio.
Ironically, the business will be located in the same building where she learned her own first dance steps.
Located in the former Lorelei’s Dance Showcase at 951 N. Second St., the studio will open Sept. 14 for students ages 3 ½-18 in acrobats, tap and jazz.
For all their hard work, the dancers will show off their techniques at a June recital.
Some day, one of those youngsters may follow Noonen’s lead and turn his or her passion into a thriving business venture.
Not missing a beat
Noonen recalls one of her first dance costumes – a silver and gray tutu number – as she danced to the music of “Three Little Fishies.”
“I’ve always loved dancing and flipping,” said Noonen. “My mom (Kathy Galindo Stenger) tried to put me in softball when I was young, but all I did was do cartwheels in the outfield. So she finally said, ‘Let’s stick to dance.’”
As she danced away the next 14 years, Noonen took an active role in sports at Chillicothe Elementary Center.
She participated as a cheerleader in seventh and eighth grades, as well as basketball, volleyball and track.
Even though she had little spare time, she continued with acrobats, tap and jazz.
At Illinois Valley Central High School, Noonen kept cheerleading, basketball and volleyball along with the three dance classes her freshman year.
By her sophomore year, she decided to continue with just cheerleading and dance classes the next three years of high school.
Starting at age 13, Noonen added being a helper at the dance studio to her schedule.
“I helped mostly the younger kids with their acrobats and dance,” said Noonen.
“It was always fun to me to teach. I like kids in general, and I like dance; so, it’s just natural to want to teach kids to dance.”
She also excelled at cheerleading, and her squads traveled to camp during the summer, where they usually were No. 1 in their routines.
To prepare for the strenuous cheerleading activities, Noonen said she worked with weights three times each week.
At home, she goaded her little sister, Brittany, to dance with her. That little sister is now a senior at IVC.
“Brittany made the cheerleading squad her senior year,” said Cami. “She’s really good, probably better than I was at cheerleading.”
A perfectionist when it came to dance and acrobats, Noonen said she would get mad at herself if she did not land a stunt just right or missed a step.
Missed step or not, she remembers the thrill of having her dad, Jeff Noonen, present her with flowers the last day of her recital each year.
Then there is her brother, Jeff, who has given Noonen a boost in deciding to start her own business at age 24.
Dance fever
“Jeff has been pushing me a lot to do the dance studio,” said Noonen. “I was scared with the economy so bad.”
Then, about 10 months ago, Noonen came to a turning point.
“I wanted to do something I loved,” she said. “And Brittany said she wanted to do dance her senior year.”
With idea in hand, Noonen spoke with Nancy Gould about renting the upstairs where Noonen herself began her dance career.
With the simple addition of some new mats, a new stereo, some paint and cleaning, Noonen plans to transform the space and call it her own.
Noonen will offer acrobats, tap and jazz, and students can enroll for one, two or three of the 30-minute classes, which will be once a week.
Cami’s Dance Studio brochures are available at the Chillicothe Times-Bulletin office and P.S. Fast License at their new address, 320 Ash St.; as well as other local businesses.
For more information or to ask her some questions, call Noonen at 219-3045.
Instead of lifting weights to keep in shape these days, Noonen now spends her time lifting her almost 1-year-old son, Carson Burnett.
She also sports an engagement ring on her finger, after her fiancée, Alex Burnett, who works for Lauber Tree Service, proposed.
They are planning a September 2010 wedding.
“Alex and I were grade-school sweethearts,” said Noonen. “In sixth, seventh and eighth grades, we ‘went out,’ as they call it.”
After Noonen graduated from IVC in 2003, Burnett entered the service and the two continued to keep in touch via e-mail, even though they did not date in high school.
“Then when he got back, we dated a couple of months and we’ve been together ever since,” she said.
If she needs some assistance in operating her dance studio, Noonen needs look no further than her own family, many of whom live in Chillicothe.
“I’ve already had several people come up to me saying they heard I was starting a dance studio,” Noonen said.
With 14 years of dance experience and cheerleading under her belt, Noonen said she is excited to take on this new venture.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I’m very excited to pursue my dreams.”
