Dancing at 3, competing at 5, teaching at 14. Alicia Clifton of Moore, 18, recently danced her way to the Miss Moore Norman pageant. The next step is Miss Oklahoma in June, 2010, and then hopefully, Miss America.

Clifton, daughter of Ron and Tammy Clifton, also holds the unofficial record of 41 pirouettes practicing in the dance room for the Regis -- Kelly show. She is in the Guinness Book of World Records with 36. Her record has gone unbroken for nearly four years. It was even one of the questions on the TV series, "Cash Cab."

When Clifton was young, she did print work and TV commercials for various corporations such as J.C. Penney, Dillards, Glamour Shots and Saint Anthony's Hospital. She continues to do occasional TV commercials as time permits.

She is kept busy with AP classes at Moore High School, math courses at Oklahoma City Community College and is senior class secretary. She attends and teaches dance lessons at Applause Studio and is a member of FUSE, helping freshmen get oriented to high school.

As Miss Moore Norman, Clifton will speak to school students and local organizations like the Kiwanis.

"It's like being a mini Miss Oklahoma," Clifton said.

She has won the titles of Miss Junior National Teenager (Oklahoma), Miss South Oklahoma City Outstanding Teen, Miss Nicoma Park Outstanding Teen (titled EOC for Eastern Oklahoma County), Miss OCU Outstanding Teen, Miss Tulsa Outstanding Teen, Miss Oklahoma Outstanding Teen and was a top 10 finisher and talent winner at Miss America Outstanding Teen in Orlando, Fla.

Clifton has also appeared on the Megan Mullally show.

"Her true highlight of that trip was getting an autograph from Hannah Montana," Ron Clifton said. "J. Galen Culver also did a segment on her in his "Is This a Great State or What" series."

Dance is truly who Clifton is. She has won many dance titles including a bronze medal for the USA at age 9 (tap dance, competed in Germany), silver medals for the USA at ages 10 and 11 (tap dance, also in Germany and a gold medal for the USA (lyrical dance, competed in Orlando, Fla.).

"At another time she became the first American Dance Idol in Orlando and the recipient of a $10,000 first place award," Ron Clifton said. "Hundreds of dancers from across 37 states auditioned and a little more than 100 that were chosen went to Florida. For this achievement she received a Citation of Congratulations for being 'truly a credit to the great State of Oklahoma' from Sen. Jim Reynolds and Rep. Kevin Calvey."

Other titles she has won include North American Dance Champion and the American Dance Awards Dancer of the Year, Miss National Showbiz, Miss National Adrenaline and National Hall of Famer.

"There have been literally hundreds of other awards that she has received from various dance competitions from different states over the years," Ron Clifton said. "Her trophies and plaques threaten to overrun our household. We have them in virtually every room in the house, in the attic, in our outside storage, plus she has donated many to Camp Cavett (a camp for children with debilitating diseases and the only camp available for heart, sickle-cell and cystic fibrosis children."

And lastly, she was the Air Force Wide talent winner for two consecutive years. The Air Force conducts talent shows all around the world, Ron Clifton said.

And what is on the horizon for Clifton?

"Of course, Miss America," Alicia Clifton said. "I would really like to be on So You Think You Can Dance. It's my dreams but if not, maybe a movie director or news anchor."

You can watch Clifton on Youtube. Search "36 pirouettes" in the search field.