Terrill Mitchell, company member of MET Dance, finds a lot of motivation in failure. The 28-year-old Mitchell grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, a small town, training as a competitive dancer (yep, like the kids you see in Dance Moms). He was the only male dancer at the studio where he trained and somehow "only" was translated into "best."

"I was the only male dancer at my studio and so, of course, I was the best," Mitchell tells us laughing. "I never did anything wrong and everyone just thought I was amazing. Then, when I got out and saw more and better dancers, I realized I was a really bad dancer."

It was, he remembers, a bit of a shock.

When it came time to go to college, Mitchell auditioned for the dance program at Point Park University. He didn't make it.

He started school as a photography major, but it was short lived. "When [dancing] was taken away, that's when I realized how much I wanted it. It was just a couple of weeks into the first semester and I was seeing all of these dancers on their way to class. I thought, 'That's what I'm supposed to be doing.' Point Park had a [intensive dance training] program for three months. After you went through the program, you could audition again. If you didn't make it, that was it, you couldn't audition anymore."

Some 22 students entered the intensive program and auditioned again. Mitchell was one of only two that were accepted.

"The fact that I didn't make it into Point Park the first time, that's always with me. It helps me remember to always do my best because I might not get another chance."

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