She stood there nervously, awaiting her number to called. She just attended an hour and 30 minute ballet class, and now it was time for her solo audition. She had performed the routine “The Sweetest Sin” hundreds of times, but today her future major depended on it. Senior Madison Ritter had been preparing for this try out since she had been cleared to dance after surgery, just four weeks before. She had been anxiously awaiting this moment since her mother and her pulled out of the driveway to make their way to Loyola University in Chicago. She heard a current member of the dance program call out her number, and she headed into the audition room.

“I was nervous while waiting for my number to be called,” Madison said. “But this is also my favorite solo, so I was excited to be able to perform it again.”

Madison has been dancing for 15 years. She has attended a multitude of classes including ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary categories. Arches Dance Academy was her studio and second home for five years. After Arches closed last summer, Madison began taking classes at Rokita Dance Center for her senior year. Madison has touched the hearts of many through her dance career. She has inspired students that she danced with, friends and family. According to Madison, a milestone in her dance career was when she performed a solo during competition and a judge gave her a standing ovation. Out of all the instructors and people she has danced with, she has two main supporters that she owes her success too.

“My mom has been there ever since I was little,” Madison said. “She was always my biggest fan in the crowd. Emily Fagan was my dance teacher for the past five years. From the very first day I met her, she said that I had something special and had what it took to dance professionally someday.”

For the past three years, Madison had been dancing in extreme pain. Her labrum in the front of her shoulder was torn, and it was causing her shoulder to dislocate backwards every time she moved. On Sept. 23, she could not put it off any longer, it was time to undergo surgery. She checked into St. Joseph hospital and the surgeon prepped to repair the tear in the back of her shoulder. When Dr. Matthew Melander went in to begin the operation, he discovered that there was also a tear in the front of her shoulder. Melander put a total of four anchors into Madison’s shoulder.

“This was Madison’s first surgery so I was very anxious,” Madison’s mom, Dawn Ritter said. “While she was in surgery I was praying that the surgery would work and take all of her pain away.”

Despite the minor complication during surgery, the operation went considerably well. It would still be a long road to recovery and Madison knew there would be challenges. Since the surgery was on her right shoulder, she wasn’t even able to write for a month. Her friends had to assist her in everyday tasks, as well as being her support system and keeping her spirits lifted.

“I helped Madie get through surgery by telling her all the things that I went through and struggled with during my surgery,” senior Kristina McKay said. “She doesn’t like when people sugar coat things, so I explained everything I could so that nothing would surprise her.”

Madison was supposed to wait a full six months before dancing again after her surgery, but the race for college tryouts was on. She went through an accelerated amount of physical therapy so that she could start to dance again after only four months. This way she could have some time to prepare for tryouts. Madison had danced with a dislocated shoulder for so long that she taught herself to dance with uneven shoulders. When she returned and had to learn the correct way to do things, it was a difficult journey. She struggled with turns the most.

“I have learned that everything happens for a reason,” Madison said. “Not every judge or school will love you, and that is okay. I have learned the importance of hard work and never giving up on something that you love.”

When “Take Me To Church” started to play over the loudspeakers, Madison began to dance her solo just as she always had. She had made minor adjustments due to her still restricted shoulder movement, so she focused on nailing the new additions to the dance. After she finished her routine, the director and choreographers for the program thanked her for her time. She left the room eager to find out the results.

A few short weeks after the audition, she received the letter of her dreams in the mail. Madison had been accepted to Loyola’s dance major program. About four weeks after the good news, Dawn opened a letter they had received from the university. The letter stated that Madison had been awarded a $32,000 scholarship.

“I was so happy.” Madison said. “I have dreamed about pursuing a dance major and career since I was a little kid, so to get the acceptance letter and know that all my hard work paid off was so rewarding.”

After being accepted into the college and being awarded a scholarship, Madison is leaning towards attending Loyola University in the fall. She has one other school to look at, Columbia College, which is also in Chicago. After visiting Columbia College, Madison will make her final decision. Loyola backs up to Lake Michigan and currently has 16,500 students attending. It is safe to say that whatever decision Madison makes for her future, her friends and family will be there to support her.

“I am just really excited to see what she ends up doing,” McKay said. “Dance is such a versatile art that can be performed professionally anywhere. She is a down to earth and witty person that does everything in life with beauty, and so many doors will swing open for her after college. I can’t wait to see where she takes her talent next.”