A decade ago, after more than 12 years away to pursue her education and a career in dance, Debi Worth found herself once again in El Dorado Hills.

“I was born and raised in El Dorado County,” Worth says. “I was coming home.” Although she’d been a successful professional dancer – touring all over the world with Miss United States pageants – a torn ligament in her back caused Worth to focus her energies on teaching. She is now a tenured professor at Folsom Lake College and the owner of El Dorado Dance Academy, a thriving business which has grown from humble beginnings to one with 25 employees teaching a wide range of dance styles.  

For Worth, the most rewarding aspect of her work is the ability to share her love of dance with the community. Her dance troupes perform at events and benefits throughout the region and the world, and every year in August, the studio hosts a Dance Jubilee day with free dance classes open to the public. More than anything, however, Worth tries to always live by her motto, “Integrity in Dance and Life,” which can mean anything from keeping kids dressed age-appropriately to getting them involved in local charity events. “I love touching the lives of young people and inspiring them,” Worth says. “Dance enriches their lives, makes them part of something bigger than just themselves.”

For more about Debi Worth and other local happenings and information, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style – Folsom, El Dorado Hills edition. Click on the Get Your Copy link on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations; click on the Subscribe link on this Web site to become a regular subscriber, or to order a copy of this issue or one of our back issues, please email  [email protected], or call 916-988-9888.