I have really been out of the loop here at The Winger while I have been dealing with one of the most annoying injuries my body has really been faced with.

I have two herniated/slipped discs in my lower back and nobody knows why they shifted. It’s been pretty annoying trying to rehabilitate for the last couple of months because there are so many different routes that a person can take with this particular injury. I have been so occupied with looking for my own answers that I seem to have been unable to answer all of your questions… but thanks for the support!
When I first discovered what I was facing I kind of shrugged it off and started doing lots of exercises to help my back acheive a correct balance. That often solves the problem by giving the discs the right amount of space to slip right back in where they came from. I had heavy-duty drugs and my mind was set on realizing my engagements with the Stuttgart Ballet to open the 2007 season at the Paris Opera. I wanted to give all I could to the audiences there and was eager to dance with our company that, I love so much.

Paris was super fun and because I was super motivated and super-high;) I just thought I had worked through all of my back worries….dumb:/ I came back to the studio in Stuttgart and my back had had enough. A close friend was in town at that time who had been a great dancer at Stuttgart and also suffered (and recovered) from pretty much exactly the same thing about 7 years ago. He gave me some sound advice and basically forced me to realize that I would actually just have to…stop for a while in order to save myself later.

So I did. I made my personal choice for the kind of therapy I thought would be right for me and have really come a long way. But I must say, I really feel for any athlete who has to exercise the extreme patience necessary to be held back from what they love because of a physical injury.

I am very disappointed that I will have to miss out on chanced to dance great new roles in Robbins’ “Dance at a Gathering”, Bejart’s “Gaite Parisienne”, Van Manen’s “Corps”, and a new creation by both of the Stuttgart Ballet’s wonderful resident choreographers. So I have been pretty bummed. On the other hand, I have pretty much just tried to make lemonade and taken on a multitude of new secret (and fun) projects. My physical therapy has also been a wonderful thing in that I have learned so much about my body and mind. I hate barriers and my being injured, has, in a way helped me break down walls I hadn’t even realized I was up against regarding stresses on the mind and body… The perspective I have gained has been a blessing……. but still I am really dyeing to get back to the rigour of what I really love.

Again, my heart goes out to any other injured athletes as I know it can sure be difficult. I am lucky that there are great people like Kristin Sloan who display that it is more then possible to channel the over-flow of creative energy an injured dancer has in a way that brings great things… like this site!

I wish you all the best… (the healthy people too…) and hope to be writing about a “come-back” very soon!