It all started 25 years ago . . . Ashlee Nino, born and raised in The Lone Star State of Texas, was brought into the world dancing on January 11, 1985.

As soon as she could walk her family knew that Ashlee was something special, an outgoing individual who would simply walk up to any kid and make friends. As a child, she would dance to any beats she heard on the radio especially music of her upbringing hispanic culture. "Rhythm is just in our blood", quotes her sister Lisa. As Ashlee got older she soon begin choreographing dances with her nephews and friends. "She would make us sit through her 'shows' for hours" says her mother. "She would even make programs for us, and her fellow stuffed animal audience to look at."

At the age of five Ashlee was enrolled into her first dance class. A small local studio by her house in Fort Worth, Texas. "I started taking clogging first", explains Ashlee, "I was infatuated by the way the shoes sounded." Within a month of arriving at the studio, she was placed on the competitive team, traveling to local competitions and winning most of them. "She was so young", expressed her father Gilbert, "we didn't want her to get burnt out." However, to her parents' surprise this was only the begginning of things. Tuition, competition and costume prices begin to soar as Ashlee became interested in learning more about dance.

At the age of 10, Ashlee moved to a bigger, more well known studio, where she took every type of dance they offered. Within a year she was competing all over the United States. When she turned 13, she decided to move studios once again, this time to a bigger city . . . Dallas, TX. Her mother quotes, "Things weren't easy we had to sacrifice alot, but it's what she wanted and we knew she had the passion." She got recruited onto a professional hip hop team when she turned 15. This is when the direction of dancing took a drastic turn. "I knew from this point on that dancing wasn't just a hobby to me . . . it is a way of life."

Ashlee was still in high school but knew she wanted to move to Los Angeles, California to pursue her career. She graduated from Birdville High School in May of 2003 and began to make serious plans for her move. However, that summer a friend convinced Ashlee to audition for a Professional Arena Football Dance Team. Out of over 250 girls Ashlee landed a spot on the team, only 12 rookies were chosen. She decided to stay in Texas another year, for this was a good opportunity. She traveled with the team performing at games, and doing many appearances in front of hundreds and thousands of people. "I had never been involved in something like this", says Ashlee, "Our fans are amazing!" This only gave Ashlee the extra boost she needed to want to become a professional dancer in LA.

In July of 2004, Ashlee decided to tell the team about her plans. She explained to them that this was something she had always dreamed of. And with the support of her loving family she was actually going to get a chance to move to the West Coast. The team was so supportive! "I knew from the first time I met Ashlee she didn't belong in Texas, it was about time she moved on to bigger things", expressed a fellow team mate. So on July 30, she packed her things, her car hitched to a trailer behind her dad's work van and together Ashlee drove with her mother and father, the exhausting 22 hour drive to Los Angeles.

"It was hard dropping her off", says her parents, "but we know she's going to be fine." Only being here for a short while, Ashlee has wasted no time . . .she has worked with some of L.A.'s top choreographers, taught classes at some of LA's hottest dance studios, appeared on stage and in videos with artists such as Gwen Stefani, The Roots, Will Smith, Mya, Sean The Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus and many more and is on her way to doing what she has always dreamed of. "I never let anyone stand in my way", says Ashlee. "dreams do come true. Of course i've had the people that tell me I can't make it, but I know in my heart that there is a plan for me here. That's why I left my family back home and am starting a new life in California. Watch out world . . . here I come!!!"