As spring break began, students rejoiced in the thought of no school. It was a time to avoid the daily grind of their arts and academic work – at least for most. Dance senior Mycaela Everly traveled to California to compete on the TV show “So You Think You Can Dance.”

The show hosts auditions across the nation in multiple cities hoping to collect the best dancers possible to compete in a multi round competition judged by a three person panel and viewers who can participate in voting.

“It’s been my goal since I was a little girl so my hopes and dreams went into this,” Everly said.

Waiting in the California heat, hundreds of dancers lined up starting at 3 am for a chance at becoming “America’s Favorite Dancer” and winning 250,000 dollars.

“Standing in line waiting for five hours, I enjoyed meeting everyone on the street, and seeing their love for dance,” Everly said.

Along the way she was interviewed by Fox and got to meet past stars on the show such as Ricky Ubeda and Valory Rockey. Ubeda was one of the shows only 13 winners in its 11 seasons.

Eventually the audition process began. Competitors were to dance in a round of improv with a genre chosen by the judges. Everly had to perform a jazz piece, even though ballet is her concentration.

Initially everything went well but to her surprise, mid-performance her ankle broke.

“Adrenaline kicked in, [and] I kept on going, but towards the end it began to hurt,” Everly said.

She’s currently recovering and still dancing at school but it prevented her from making it to the next round. While she had put time and dedication towards her goal and fell short, she gained knowledge and experience.

“It taught me to keep my head up and realize I am a good dancer even if [the judges] didn’t want me,” Everly said.

In the world of dance, competition is fierce and the slightest flaw can differentiate one dancer from another. Mixed with the high intensity drama of a television show, fitting the role of “America’s Favorite Dancer,” is no easy task.

“One door opens, another one closes and I just didn’t walk through that door,” Everly said.