For as long as she can remember, Lucy Smith envisioned dance being part of her future.
After years of classes, performances, competitions and countless hours in the studio, continuing her dance career beyond high school was always part of the plan. What changed during her junior year wasn’t her goal — it was discovering what collegiate dance could actually look like and realizing just how many opportunities existed to continue doing what she loved.
That realization opened an entirely new world.
Smith learned more about college dance teams, game-day performances, national competitions and clinics designed to introduce dancers to programs across the country. Once she saw what that next level could offer, she became even more determined to make it happen.
“It made me realize, this is exactly what I want to do,” Smith said.
She attended her first collegiate dance clinic during her junior year at Utah Valley University and immediately got a glimpse of the level she would need to reach.
Walking into a room filled with more than 100 dancers was intimidating.
But instead of feeling discouraged, Smith left motivated.
“The moment I stepped in there, I knew I had a lot to work for,” she said. “I was going to do it. I had to dance in college.”
That first clinic became the beginning of a focused journey that eventually led her to earning a place on the Southern Utah University dance team.
Over time, Smith attended approximately nine different clinics, exposing herself to different programs and helping her understand what collegiate dance really demanded. Those experiences showed her both the level of competition and the opportunities available.
Unlike many traditional collegiate sports, dance recruiting is still evolving.
Smith explained that while some programs have begun reaching out to dancers directly, many teams still rely primarily on open tryouts.
Southern Utah University’s program — the team Smith ultimately earned a spot on — follows that model.
Rather than waiting to be recruited, Smith committed herself to earning a place.
As she worked through the process, uncertainty became part of the experience. Southern Utah University was in transition with a new coaching staff being put into place, and for a period of time there were more questions than answers.
Smith remembers checking for updates and wondering whether tryouts would happen and what the future of the program would look like.
Then, while on a trip to Reno, she saw the announcement.
The team had a coach.
Soon after, tryout information followed.
Smith decided to take the opportunity.
What came next would test her commitment more than she expected.
The Southern Utah University tryout weekend landed directly on top of one of the most meaningful events of her dance career — her final recital with NDC.
When she realized the conflict, emotions hit immediately.
“I immediately started crying,” Smith said.
Rather than choosing between the two moments, she reached out directly to the coach.
Smith explained her situation and asked whether she could learn the first-day material remotely and arrive for the second day of auditions.
The answer was yes.
That accommodation opened the door, but the schedule that followed was intense.
The choreography videos were released Friday.
Smith spent approximately three hours learning three separate one-minute dances while preparing for recital day.
After completing her final recital — closing one chapter of her dance life — she headed directly for Cedar City.
She arrived around 1 or 2 a.m.
Her alarm was set for 5 a.m.
She never actually slept.
With little rest and carrying the pressure of auditioning for her future, Smith admitted she was overwhelmed.
“I was super stressed,” she said. “I was thinking, ‘I don’t know these dances very well.’”
But once she stepped into the room, something changed.
“Something just turned on,” Smith said. “I knew the dances and I didn’t feel like I hadn’t slept.”
Months of preparation, years of experience and countless hours in the studio took over.
She trusted herself.
The audition itself lasted roughly two hours before participants were dismissed to wait.
Results would be posted later that afternoon.
Nobody could really leave.
Smith and her family spent the time driving around Cedar City and exploring the scenery while waiting.
Then the team list went live.
She found her name.
“I instantly started crying…again,” Smith laughed.
The emotions came all at once — excitement, relief, joy and exhaustion after an unforgettable stretch of days.
After years of dance classes, nearly a decade of competitive training and months of pursuing this goal, she had officially earned a place on the Southern Utah University dance team.
For Smith, dance has been a major part of her life for nearly as long as she can remember.
She began taking dance classes around age six and has now competed with NDC for approximately eight years.
She also spent all four years of high school as a member of the varsity dance team.
Those experiences helped prepare her for what comes next.
At Southern Utah University, Smith’s role will extend well beyond the sidelines.
The team performs at football games and halftime events, appears at community functions and fundraisers, supports university athletics and also competes nationally through USA competition in the spring.
Unlike some collegiate dance programs that separate game-day and competitive teams, Southern Utah’s dancers do both.
“It’s all one team,” Smith said.
The tryout process also required technical skill beyond choreography.
Athletes had to demonstrate advanced abilities including an aerial, a head spring and a kip-up.
For Smith, those requirements represented years of foundational training paying off.
As she prepares for her freshman year, she plans to major in elementary education.
While balancing school, dance and independence can be intimidating for many freshmen, Smith feels ready.
She said she hopes to work full time while balancing classes and team responsibilities.
For some, that schedule sounds overwhelming.
For Smith, it sounds exciting.
“That’s what I live for,” she said. “I love busy days and being productive.”
When asked what she is most excited about, her answer came quickly.
“Football games for sure,” she said.
But beyond performances, she is looking forward to becoming part of the team.
She has already met many of her teammates and described them as welcoming and supportive.
She is excited for practices, team experiences and building relationships within the program.
Looking back on everything that led to this point, Smith was quick to point out she did not get here alone.
The first people she credited were her parents — especially her mother.
“My mom did everything for me to get me where I was,” Smith said.
She described years filled with private lessons, extra classes, travel and early mornings.
There were countless clinics and long drives that often started before sunrise and ended late at night.
Her mother made those opportunities possible.
“She did everything,” Smith said.
Smith also expressed deep appreciation for her teachers at NDC.
She specifically recognized Ms. Paris, Ms. Kelly and Ms. Juliette for their investment in her growth as both a dancer and a person.
“They did so much for me,” Smith said. “I would not be anywhere close to where I am without them.”
As she prepares to move to Cedar City and begin the next chapter, Smith carries with her years of training, support and memories from every stage of her dance journey.
Now, after years of dedication and a tryout weekend she will likely never forget, she is stepping onto the collegiate stage — ready to represent Southern Utah University and continue doing what she loves.
