Jacqueline LeBlanc grew up at Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs.

She joined the community theater’s Kids Camp at the tender age of 8, and made her acting debut in a main-stage show when she was 12.

Thirteen years later, LeBlanc, 25, has two-stepped from child actor to choreographer, hoofing it with her fellow cast members for Palm Canyon’s upcoming run of Footloose. It opens July 8.

“There are people that I’ve known since I was little,” says LeBlanc. “They’ve been through all those shows with me, and we all get along. And we have a lot of new people coming in for this show, so it’s fun working with them and seeing all the new talent come through the desert.”

VIDEO: Hear from the cast on preparations for Footloose.