Monte Vista/Alamosa-Standing beneath the bright lights of the national stage in Galveston, Texas, dancers from Ms. Kais Academy of Performing Arts waited anxiously as awards were announced during The Rainbow Dance Competition Nationals. 

Months of rehearsals, fundraising, long evenings at the studio and unwavering support from families had all led to this moment. One by one, the awards continued to come. Platinum and Double Platinum honors. Best Costume. A Top 5 Overall finish. An invitation to perform in the Grand Finale. Studio of the Year. 

Then came another unforgettable announcement. 

Academy owner and instructor Kayla Smith was named Choreographer of the Year for her routine, Future Husband. 

For many studios, the awards would have been the highlight of the trip. 

For Smith, they were simply the result of something much bigger. 

"We're going into our fifth year at Ms. Kais," Smith said. "We started our competition team last year. It's always been something I've wanted to try and do and help these kids in the Valley experience new things and opportunities in the performing arts." 

Five years ago, Smith opened Ms. Kais Academy of Performing Arts with a vision of creating opportunities for children throughout the San Luis Valley. Originally from Indiana, she studied performing arts for 15 years before moving to Colorado in 2010. 

Her academy began inside Purple Moon Rising Studio in downtown Monte Vista, offering dance, singing and acting classes for children and adults. One of the studio's first community performances included participating in the Ski-Hi Stampede Parade while honoring breast cancer survivors, a cause close to Smith's heart because her mother is a survivor. 

Since then, the academy has continued to grow. 

Today, Ms. Kais Academy of Performing Arts operates locations in both Monte Vista and Alamosa, serving families from across the San Luis Valley. The academy now offers more than 35 classes, including dance, musical theatre, vocal performance, tumbling, gymnastics and specialty programs for students beginning around 9 months old through adults. 

Many of the dancers who recently competed at Nationals have grown alongside the academy itself. 

"Most of them have been with me since we started," Smith said. "So five years." 

This year's trip to Nationals began months earlier during regional competition. 

"When we went to our regionals, we qualified for Nationals," Smith said. "As a group, or a family, even with their parents, I asked, 'Do you guys want to go to Nationals?' They were all on board." 

The answer launched months of preparation. 

Parents organized fundraisers and coordinated travel. Teachers spent hours polishing choreography and encouraging each performer to believe they belonged on a national stage. 

For Smith, watching everyone work toward a common goal became just as meaningful as the competition itself. 

Competition team member Quinn Plane said reaching Nationals required dedication from everyone involved. 

"We spent at least three classes a week 6 to 7 hours working really hard on the big team with our two dances," Plane said. 

Every practice, and performance brought the team one step closer to Galveston. 

When they finally arrived, months of hard work quickly turned into unforgettable memories. 

Kamden Smith said all the hours spent practicing quickly paid off once the music started. 

"It was really fun going up there," Kamden said. "We put a lot of hard work into the dances, and I felt like we did amazing." 

Lucy Story admitted she was nervous before taking the stage but said those feelings quickly faded after the performance. 

"I was nervous, but afterwards I felt really good about myself," Story said. "I really enjoyed spending the time with my team." 

Kinsley Price described the week as "super fun" and said the experience brought the team even closer together. 

"It's like a family," she said, adding that it felt good to win and that she would encourage other children to become part of the academy. 

Analisa Archuleta agreed, saying one of her favorite parts of the trip was making new memories with her teammates, memories that would last a lifetime.  

For Bexlei Sutak, Nationals came with mixed emotions. Although she was excited to travel to Galveston for the first time, she missed having her father there but was very happy that he was able to watch her performances through a livestream on his phone and congratulated her when she returned home. 

Kaisley Smith, one of the academy's youngest dancers, smiled as she described the experience. 

"It was fun," she said, and it felt great when they won.  

Although each dancer had a different favorite memory, all of them spoke about the encouragement they received from everyone throughout the week. 

For Smith, those moments meant far more than the trophies the academy brought home. 

When asked what the experience meant to her personally, she paused for a moment before answering. 

"I might get emotional," she said. 

Smith said watching the dancers encourage one another, and celebrating each other's accomplishments reminded her why she opened the academy five years ago. 

"It wasn't just the competition. It was watching these kids do this together. My favorite part wasn't only the competition. It was seeing everyone's pictures at the beach and doing activities together. To see our community come together-this is a family here." 

Teaching Assistant Courtney Espinoza saw that same bond throughout the week. 

"This week was about watching our dancers grow and encourage each other backstage and we shared this experience together as a studio family. We saw our students perform their hearts out on a national stage and they all realized, 'Wow. We really did this.'" 

The academy will host a fifth-anniversary celebration and registration event on Aug. 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The celebration will include food trucks, bouncy houses, miniature golf, student performances and family activities as the academy celebrates five years of serving the San Luis Valley. For more information you may visit the academy’s Facebook page.