I honestly don't know how many people can watch this video without shedding a tear or... crying a river. When I first saw it, I was flooded by so many emotions and I thought that it would be a crime not to share it with others.
When I started having my health issues, I felt many different things-I would get really angry, then I would get sad, then I would question "why do I have to go through this?" I would really be angry at the thought of being robbed of my passion for dancing. I felt like it was so unfair that, because of my physical limitations, now I couldn't dance like I used to and wanted to. I mean, some days I couldn't dance at all, and that made me both angry and sad. Then I felt angry because of the pain, which also made me cry pretty much on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong, I still have some bad days, I am human, but I am slowly and steadily learning that dance, just like any passion, is not about the end result. Having a passion is about feeling fulfilled while engaging in it. It's about having the need to do it because without it you would feel lost, sad, and empty. Whether your passion is art, dance, music, acting or whatever it is, don't give it up just because it's hard or because you think you are not good at it or because your body is aging or sick.
The girl in the video had a brain tumor at the age of 6, but that didn't stop her from dancing because that's her passion and she feels fulfilled and happy when she dances, even if she can't do pirouettes or leaps. The great Martha Graham once said that great dancers are not great because of their technique but because of their passion, and she was absolutely right!
This inspiring video reminded me that we shouldn't let obstacles stop us from going after our dream, or from engaging in the activities we love. I know I am so much happier when I dance, even if that day I can only dance by moving my hands because I am in too much pain and I can't do anything else! I truly hope that my Catartika class and my dance for non-dancers class will give to others the same happiness that dance gives me and has given me throughout the years.
I also hope that this video will give others hope and strength not to give up, regardless what they are going through <3