A Pella High School student has big aspirations as he aims to dance with the best performers in the country.

Ridge McGinley was offered a spot in the prestigious Juilliard School in Manhattan, New York City.

McGinley tells KNIA/KRLS News his life’s passion has been to dance, and he’s traveled the country to showcase his skills.

“To get to this point I’ve had to train hours upon hours in the studio each week, so I go up to Des Moines and train multiple days for five or six hours each night and in different styles,” he says. “I take ballet class which is mandatory, lyrical, jazz — they’re all mandatory, so I continually train like that. But I also branch out, and I’m fortunate enough that my parents support me, that I can kind of fly throughout the country and train with different choreographers, in New York City and L.A. so I’ve kind of gotten a feel and been able to make some connections that have helped me along the way.”


Ridge McGinley dances in Quarterfinals of 2015 State Fair

He’s unsure of what type of dancing he will focus on after high school, but has set lofty goals for himself. If he decides to go to Juilliard, McGinley plans to pursue Broadway and musical theater, and if he were to go to a west coast school, McGinley aims to work his way into the popular music industry.

McGinley says he’s awaiting word from other institutions, and plans to make a decision for his postsecondary education sometime next month.