Crystal Lake ballerina accepted to Juilliard School's Dance Division (with video)

CRYSTAL LAKE – Catherine Lasak felt sick the morning of her Juilliard audition.

The 17-year-old Prairie Ridge High School senior hadn't gotten much sleep or food, and questioned whether she could handle the physical demands of a six-hour audition that combined ballet and modern dance classes, a two-minute solo and an interview.

Lasak's mom, Amy Bates, drove her into Chicago on Jan. 29 with the hope that adrenaline would push her through the audition.

“Once I started ballet class, it took over,” Lasak said. “Taking class is like being at home. It's comforting. I always feel better when I'm in a ballet class.”

She pushed through round after round, watching as the group of dancers was cut down from 59 to 10. And she kept making the cut after the audition was over.

Lasak was one of 12 women worldwide accepted into Juilliard's Dance Division. Along with a dozen men, the group will make up the entire class admitted as dance students for the 2016 school year.

[ PHOTOS: Crystal Lake ballerina accepted to Juilliard School ]

Her acceptance into the elite arts school is the culmination of more than seven years dedicated to the craft of ballet. Lasak has practiced for the past five years at the Judith Svalander School of Ballet in Crystal Lake and spent the summer of 2014 and 2015 at the School of American Ballet in New York City learning a more disciplined style of ballet. With a modified school schedule, she's been taking the train to Chicago six days a week for 30 hours of practice for the past two years.

During that time she's sacrificed having a social life, attending school events or participating in school sports.

But she said she knew it was worth it when she was pulled from class while making up an anatomy test on March 21 to accept a call from the director of Juilliard.

“It feels good knowing that hard work does pay off and knowing that all the hours spending Friday nights, Saturday nights, all day Sunday, not being able to go to typical high school things were worth it,” said Lasak, who dreams of becoming a professional ballerina.

“It feels good to be rewarded with something that actually really means something.”

Statistically speaking, Lasak's chances of getting into the prestigious school were slim. The school's acceptance rate sits at 6.7 percent. The school accepted only 4.8 percent of the 497 applicants who applied to the dance division, officials said.

“The Juilliard School Dance Division has a competitive audition process, and Catherine Lasak rose to the top of our applicant pool this year,” said Lawrence Rhodes, Artistic Director of Juilliard's Dance Division. “Like all students who are admitted to the school, she exhibited a great deal of talent in the audition, and we look forward to seeing her talent develop here over the next four years.”

Founded in 1905, the Juilliard School boasts more than 800 students from 44 states and 42 foreign countries. They come to New York City's Lincoln Center to earn bachelor's or master's degrees in dance, drama or music.

Before leaving for school in late August, Lasak will attend the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle.

Bates said she'll miss her daughter, but she's proud of the teen's hard work and discipline that has led her onto this path.

“I'm just really excited for her,” Bates said. “I think it's going to open doors and opportunities she can't even imagine."