Emily Jackson fulfilled a dream Saturday night as she danced on stage.

It wasn’t that she’s always dreamed of dancing; she’s danced for years. But months ago, she thought she never would again.

It was Aug. 27, a Saturday afternoon like any other. Emily, 18, was on her way to take her younger sister, 14-year-old Erin, to a karate event. Less than a mile from their house, the girls were hit head-on by a driver on Drummond Street.

&#8220I don’t remember much,” said Emily. &#8220I still have flashbacks of seeing the steering wheel all crunched and disconnected. I remember thinking, ‘That’s not supposed to be that way.’”.

Emily was taken to University Medical Center with a broken bone in her ankle, a shattered artery and a broken arm. After surgery, she was discharged three days later, the day after Hurricane Katrina hit.

Facing reality.

Given all that had happened to her, the thought of returning to dance class was not at the top of her priority list.

&#8220I knew I wanted to come back, but I didn’t know when or if I could,” she said.

Five months later, all spent on crutches, the doctor gave her the OK to return to dancing in January.

She immediately rejoined the advanced class she had been in at the Teresa George School of Dance, where she had been enrolled for seven years.

But, after a few tearful sessions, she soon had to face the truth.

&#8220She was very limited with her right foot,” said her teacher, Teresa George. &#8220She couldn’t do a lot of what she was doing before, but that was OK.”

Jazz, tap and pointe were out of the question. She could only do ballet.

&#8220I really liked tap, but I just couldn’t do it,” Emily said.

In preparing for the end-of-the-year recital, George worked to incorporate Emily into the production.

&#8220In the ballet dance, we’ve put her in the middle, which works fine since she’s the tallest, and choreographed different moves than the other girls do,” George said.

All the turns and leaps are done on Emily’s non-injured left foot.

&#8220We’ve worked it out where it looks fine and no one would be able to tell otherwise. We wanted her to be a part of it,” George said.

Emily’s senior dance solo was choreographed in the same manner to showcase her noninjured foot.

After months of rehearsals, Emily was ready. It was her mother, Tracy Chaney, who wasn’t quite as prepared.

&#8220This recital, Emily’s last one, was going to be sad and sweet anyway, but now it will also stand to show the determination of this kid and the kindness of her ballet teacher,” she said.

The show must go on.

The curtain raised and Chaney waited with bittersweet excitement to see her child take the stage.

And, just as she had expected, Emily’s spirit and determination prevailed. She danced like she had never danced before. After all, it was different this time.

After the recital, Emily realized her years of dance were over. But what a way to end.

&#8220I had so much fun,” she said. &#8220It’s sad, though, that that was my last one. I think my mom cried through the whole thing.”

Chaney did.

&#8220I am so proud of her. It was sadder than I thought to see her classmates doing things she can’t do anymore, but I’m proud,” she said.

Emily graduates from Vicksburg High School this week and will head to Mississippi State University in the fall. It’s been a tough year, she said. But it’s made her stronger.

&#8220I’ve learned a lot about myself, I guess,” she said.

And so has her mother.

&#8220This accident certainly changed the way I look at being a parent,” Chaney said. &#8220 I try to make sure conversations with them are more constructive, positive and less critical. And I am certainly more conscious of how life can change in an instant.”

Chaney said although Emily has had to learn the hard way to take a different path to reach her goals, it has been a blessing in disguise.

&#8220I really hate that some ‘doors’ have been slammed shut for this kid that has so much going for her, but her attitude is very forgiving. And, because of her, so is mine,” she said.