BOARDMAN -- Ever since her mother enrolled her in dance lessons at age 4, Jamie Domer-Cordon has

BOARDMAN -- Ever since her mother enrolled her in dance lessons at age 4, Jamie Domer-Cordon has been hooked.
As she grew, so did the desire to perfect her craft, and Domer-Cordon traveled the country participating in many dance conventions and competitions before opening her own studio three years ago.
When she was 16, she started working for Linda Diamond, a well-respected dance instructor who had a studio in Cornersburg. By the time she was 20, Domer-Cordon was teaching dance classes to people of all ages.
At the time, she was spending four weeks each summer studying at professional studios in Los Angeles. Over time, she went to New York City, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Pittsburgh and other cities to study, learn and polish new techniques and routines.
In 1993, Domer-Cordon learned that Point Park College in Pittsburgh was selecting a few people to compete for a dancing job at Disney World in Orlando, Fla. She didn't tell anyone but her dance teacher that she would audition.
About 225 women nationwide auditioned, and Domer-Cordon was one of six finalists chosen to perform five shows a day for six months.
She enjoyed the work and was offered an extended contract to portray Barbie at Epcot Center but decided she wanted to come home.
Priorities changed
Her mother had died in 1989, and she felt her priorities were shifting. She no longer wanted to move to Los Angeles, which had been her childhood dream.
"It was just me, my dad and younger sister at home. It was important for me to raise her, and that's why I couldn't take an extended contract," she said.
Several years later, Domer-Cordon decided to open her own studio, Jamie's Dance Force in Boardman. She and a builder went over various floor plans and she settled on one that divided the building into four studios.
The studio recently has grown from 300 to 500 students. Children, teenagers and young adults come from all over the Mahoning Valley to learn numerous jazz, ballet, tap and hip-hop moves from Domer-Cordon and her eight instructors. They also offers noncompetitive tumbling classes for cheerleading.
Domer-Cordon takes pride in her students and their accomplishments, including a public recital every June at Powers Auditorium and national titles and performance awards that line her studio's walls.
Domer-Cordon added she's grateful for the lasting effects her work has on others.
"Kids can hold themselves well in crowds, and it's good for them academically and emotionally. It's nice to see kids form friendships and carry them throughout the year," she said.