Dana Munshaw Brazil was on "Sex and the City," Broadway and has performed in regional theater.

She got her start as a dancer in East Lansing at Assiff Studio of Dance, 140 W. Grand River Ave.

More than 20 years ago, Brazil took dance lessons from Theda Assiff — then-owner and teacher at the more than 58-year-old studio.

"(The studio) taught me that you have to work hard and you always have to do your best, always, every single day," Brazil said.

Fast forward to 2006 — every Wednesday night, about 12 MSU students are taking a jazz class to prepare them for the MSU Motion dance team auditions in April.

The weekly advanced jazz class is centered around requirements for the auditions, but some dancers are there just for exercise.

"(The dancers) are not there because their parents make them come," said dance instructor Adrienne Rumsey. "A lot of them are more than capable of being on Motion."

The dance studio does not have competitive teams, and offers adult classes with drop-in rates of $12 for each hour-long class.

Mark Taylor, owner of the studio, said the ages of his students range from 3 and a half to 70. About 10 percent of his students are from MSU, Taylor said.

Aimee Schauer, accounting senior and member of the dance team, said she took lessons at the studio during her freshman year to keep up her technique.

"You have to keep your ability up somehow and you can't be on (the team) freshman year," Schauer said. "I made the team — so (Mark) definitely helped my dance ability."

Schauer said the main reason she chose the studio is because of its close proximity to campus. She didn't have a car her freshman year, but was able to walk to the studio, located across from Mayo Hall.

Lauren Shailor, a biochemistry and molecular biology freshman, found the studio last summer before coming to MSU. Shailor plans to audition for the dance team.

"Since this year, incoming freshmen can try out, I'm expecting there will be more," Shailor said. "If I don't make it, there's always next year. I'll always be devoted to dance, no matter how many times I don't make it."