SHE'S been dancing most of her life but it wasn't until she was inspired by last month's trip to Disneyland that Candice Earl cemented her career path.

Miss Earl, 19, this week auditioned and was accepted to study at the prestigious Conroy Performing Arts College in Brisbane next year.

The two-year diploma course primes candidates for roles in the performing arts. They also have an opportunity to sit the exams required to become qualified dance teachers.

While she was on the Killarney School of Dance tour to Los Angeles a few weeks ago, Candice determined she would take steps to further her dance career.

A 2009 graduate from Warwick High, she has been teaching dance part-time but a bout of glandular fever last year slowed her dance ambitions.

"It took me about 12 months to fully recover from glandular fever," she said.

"When we were in Disneyland, I decided to go ahead and apply.

"Five of us auditioned on Monday night but only two were accepted."

The Conroy Dance Centre established its performing arts college in 2006 to help dancers aged 18 to 21 to prepare for professional work, although the centre has been teaching dance for more than 50 years.

The resumes of past students include such workplaces as Disney, Universal Studios, cruise liners and the Paris-based Moulin Rouge.

When asked how keen her police officer father would be on the latter, Candice replied "Dad'll be right".

While the seductive Moulin Rouge may be a consideration in a few years, Candice is more focused on working on a cruise ship or as a back-up dancer.

Warwick audiences would be used to seeing the graceful dancer in tap, jazz and contemporary routines but at Conroy, she'll also take up ballet.

"I did ballet one year," she said.

Candice was among the first intake of students at Killarney School of Dance in 2004 and is the first student to become a teacher at the school.

She began as an assistant teacher when she was in Year 8 and started teaching young tap students two years later.

Principal Hanneke Taylor was screaming with excitement when Candice called her at 10.30pm on Monday to share her news.

"The trip to Disneyland helped her solidify her goalsr," Mrs Taylor said.

"She's always had a passion for dance but the trip helped her decide she wanted to be a performer before she became a teacher.

"I'm really proud of her."

SUCCESS STORY

• Conroy Performing Arts Centre dancer Dani Evrat, a granddaughter of Warwick identity Florence Slattery, is in Sydney working on Baz Lurhmann's new film The Great Gatsby, starring Leonardo di Caprio.
• Jordan Kenny, the daughter of swim star Lisa Curry and ironman Grant Kenny, is among former students. She is now dancing in Paris at the Moulin Rouge.