Kathryn McCormick certainly isn’t camera shy. In her on-screen debut, she played an auditioning dancer in the remake of Fame. Then, we watched her climb to the final three on the sixth season of “So You Think You Can Dance” and return for season seven’s “All Star” cast. And most recently, she moved back to the big screen as the star of Step Up‘s fourth installment, Step Up 4Ever. McCormick credits much of her success to Bea Scheyer, her fifth grade dance teacher from Augusta West Dance Studio in Georgia.

“She would have a jar in class and if we ever said the words ‘I can’t’ we had to pay her a quarter. No fifth grader wants to give up her money! She was more than a teacher–she taught us how dance builds character and that love through art is the most important thing.

I learned to never limit myself and to have confidence in what I do. I also remind myself to put relationships before work, because the person you are is most important at the end of the day. And when you put that effort into yourself and those surrounding you, it really does shine through in your dancing. It brings your work to a completely different level.”

Photo courtesy of Go 2 Talent