Young Houston dancer isn't letting hearing impairment stop her

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Shyla Beck has been dancing since she was three. She's now 10.

"I think it is a confidence booster," says her mother Saunya Beck.

Just like "Dancing with the Stars" finalist Nyle DiMarco, she's hearing impaired. She's able to hear with implants. But without them, her mom tells us it's completely silent.

"Even when she was young, even before she had implants or anything, any time music would come on she would dance around. So we decided to put her and her sisters in dance. And she's always loved it," Saunya Beck said.

She's one of more than 200 students at Starlight Studio in League City.

Starlight's owner, D.J. Green, tells us they've had classes before just for students who were hearing impaired, and that those students are no different from anyone else.

"They may have special need that you have to get their attention, or explain things to them a little bit different. But other than that, they want to be treated just like normal students," he explains.

Callen Caldwell is Shyla's instructor.

"I wasn't sure what the complications were going to be," Caldwell says. "But she's actually really good rhythmically. She has no problem picking up anything. She dances just like the rest of them. Picks everything up just like the rest of the kids."

D.J. Green believes DiMarco going so far on the international stage we call "Dancing with the Stars" will show young folks just like Shyla that they can do anything.

"To have a hearing impairment and to go as far as he's gone in the dance community and the dance world and to send that message that no matter what your impairment is, dance can be a vehicle that you can express yourself in is a very important message." he says.

Starlight hopes more young people with hearing impairments take up dance.