Dancing my Back Away

    So I left off telling you when I got my brace off. That was pretty epic! Like I said, I was able to take my brace off whenever I was dancing, which I did a ton of, especially in high school. My plan was to be a professional ballet dancer. It'd my dream my entire life. Junior year, I lost my passion, and that art form is just too demanding if you aren't passionate. So I quit. It was crazy and so many people thought it was constantly April fools day.
    I decided to go far far away for college to University of San Diego. OPPS! Big mistake. The school was by no means for a midwestern gal, though you can't beat the weather and I did learn to surf. Unn huh, no lie. Probably can't do it for you for sometime but its in me. I transfered to Indiana Univeristy mid semester with some help from others. My parents gave me an ultimaum- go to TCC, take a semester off, OU, OSU, or oddly IU- my mom claims it was for academics and for dance because she apparently knew I'd go back to it (I think she just wanted to visit the beautifully cool town of Bloomington often). I just really didn't want to be in Oklahoma. After taking Calc 3 and Linear Algebra as a Freshman, then Calc 4 and Differential Equations and trying to take Abstract Alegbra (what I wouldnt wish on anyone), I was mathed out. I took a modern dance class and learned you could major in it. I was back- in full force.

    It took quite awhile for me to go from ballerina to modern dancer, but I did it. With a lot of summer work and working twice as hard in class. I got to where I was pretty good (not to boast). Fall of junior year I got cast in some pretty demanding pieces. And thats when my back starting talking to me. Spring of junior year I went and saw the Dance Program's Sports Medicine Doctor and he did some therapy that really helped. So the problem was solved right? NOPE. It just continued to get worse and worse.

   In my mind the pain was fine. I knew I had scoliosis and my doctor had said if I continued without surgery I would be in pain. So I thought it was the type of pain that was just going to happen- like when regular people try to touch their toes.

   Senior year I got cast in two extremely demanding pieces that very much involved dancing with your back. I made it through it but when the spring came about I was dying. I had to take off 2weeks at a time, wear a brace, see the sports medicine doctor everyday and take constant tylenol. Still, I thought it was pain I would just be experiencing. When I graduated and did an apprenticship with Kim Robards Dance Company out in Denver it got so bad that I'd cry in the middle of a rehearsal. Many times I thought I'd go into a position and I wasn't going to be able to get up. It was so bad it affected my dancing. I wasn't dancing the way I could.

    In June when I happily left Denver, I made a decision to go to Austin. Why? Ha, don't ask me that question. Who knows why I go where I've been. Thats another story. I found a company- Kathy Dunn Hammrick, in Austin that I immediately fell in love with. She offered me an apprenticeship because she was low on money. I still did get paid, had my picture and bio on her website and all. I had made it, I was a professional dancer. One day in rehearsal, I did something and I couldn't move. I laid down in the middle of rehearsal and told her I couldn't move. I started bawling because it was unbelievably painful. That day is what changed my entire life. Time for my back to move. Until next time!

LOVE TO ALL