Life just keeps giving me opportunities to continue to grow as a person. Last January, I was rehearsing Juliette with Lucien Postlewaite for PNB’s new production of Christophe Maillot’s Romeo et Juliette. I was thrilled that I was getting to dance this amazing ballet and I was getting to work with Giovanna Lorenzoni and Gaby Baars from Les Ballets de Monte Carlo. I knew my back was in trouble but the idea of letting go of an opening night as Juliette seemed impossible to me. A week and half before opening night my body shut down. Like coming out of a dream, I was awakened to realize once again that nothing is more important than my health and that it was time to let go. It was an experience of letting go of control. The pain was very humbling. My body was injured and I had to help it to heal.
So here I am. Six months have gone by and my back has mostly healed from a compressed fracture in one of my vertebras. I have returned to dancing (as of this past week!). But this past six months have been very valuable to me. What I can remember from my past injuries is a lot of frustration and depression from not being able to dance. But this time was different. After realizing I wasn’t going to be able to perform Juliette, my mind, body and soul felt open to see what else I could do with myself besides dance.
The first thing I did was to enroll in a class at Seattle University. Until now, I never had an honest desire to go back to school, but since last year the idea of studying again seems wonderful to me. So I took an English and a Philosophy class and loved every moment of it (or almost every moment of it!!). I loved the fact that I was learning new things and I loved seeing myself as a student. It was very easy to dedicate myself to every task. I also started to take singing lessons. As a kid, my Mom and Dad sang with a choir and my older sister had a rock band. They all have incredible voices. We used to sing all the time. (We had songs for Beer, Meals, Chimarrao tea, beautiful sunsets) So I found Ann Evans, my Voice teacher, who has reminded me of how free one can feel when singing. It’s been healing to me to sing again and remember my times in Brazil singing famous Brazilian songs with my sister.
And one of the most important lessons from this injury is how much I have learned about my body and especially my back. Ever since I moved to Seattle I have been interested in the wonders of the human body and how it all works. I have taken Aston Patterning courses in movement and alignment to try to understand as much as I can about the body. Through this injury I got to work with great physical therapists, from traditional to holistic, Naturopathic doctors, Aston patterning, and acupuncture, etc. All of them added something to this enormous puzzle in my head about the body. I enjoy learning and working with the body so much that it makes me wonder if perhaps I will pursue something in this field when I retire from ballet.
But for now I am back to ballet and ready to be onstage again next Sunday. I will be doing four shows at the Vail Dance Festival. My first show will be at the opening night Gala, Sunday July 27th. Damian Woetzel choreographed a piece last year for Tyler Angle (NYCB) and I, and we will dance along with Phillip Glass on the piano (how exciting is that!). My second show will be with PNB, where I will be dancing Fancy Free. Then I have two more shows for the Vail International Evening of Dance with Batkhurel Bold.
It can be so easy to be completely hypnotized by the excitement of being onstage again and to get mesmerized by the magic ballet can create. However, I need to remember: ballet is my eternal love, but my body and my health is still the most important thing because without it I wouldn’t be able to dance.
Writing this post will help me remembered that!?!?!?
See you all after Vail. Hopefully I will have some nice shots from the tour and good news about how my back is doing!!
Sandi
Welcome Back Carla!
So glad to hear about how your life was opened up by your injury- and that you are better-and glad to hear that you are singing! It does release incredible endorphins- right?
While not injured, I have been exploring other things as well- studying sign language and also childbirth coaching (Doula). All of these things just bring a deeper meaning to our performances onstage, and I envy the lucky audiences who will get to see you this week.
Sending my best always,
Sandi
Jul 22, 2008 @ 00:10
Cathy
hey carla
it’s great to hear that your back is fine and healed!
i think that we , dancers, with the time, start ignoring the pain, and end up forgetting what it means.
then, all of a sudden, we have to take a break.
anyway, ”merda” in your upcoming performances!! sounds so exciting!!
Jul 22, 2008 @ 00:30
susan kim
Merde in Vail, Carla! I’m so happy that your recovery has been so positive. Happy (continued) healing and I can’t wait to hear about how things go for you!
Jul 22, 2008 @ 01:07
A Little Tea or Something
Merde, and have a great time in Vail!–Deb Young
Jul 22, 2008 @ 01:39
Carla Korbes
Hello everyone.
Thank you for all the support.
Sandi, it sounds like you are also doing wonderful things with your time away from performance. I hope I can continue with my outside life as well.
I will keep you all posted about Vail!
Jul 22, 2008 @ 03:34
Rainesford
Carla~
Congraulations on recovering AND discovering new oppertunities, broadening your horizions, and being a wonderful inspiration to everyone else along the way. I hope you have an incredible time dancing in Vail, and i can’t wait to see pictures!
-Rainesford
P.S: I adore the picture of you and your dog…very suiting to your post.
Jul 22, 2008 @ 12:46
mbb
Welcome back. You were very missed. So glad you healed. Back problems are not to be ignored. Being a former gymnast and part time ballet enthusiast I also have back problems. Compressed disks with bone spurs in the upper spine and bulging disks in the lower back. So I know how painful it can be. sometimes time is the only healer. I now do some yoga (which is great for the stretching of the back) which gives much relief. Good luck!!
Jul 22, 2008 @ 14:18
carla korbes
Hello mbb,
You are totally right. Time is your best friend in this situations. You need to allow your body to heal.
What I found out is that the less I moved, the worst I felt. During my entire healing process I had to do exercises every day in order to maintain my muscles strong so they could support the bones on my spine. The exercises evolved from tinny movements to finding that I could move a little more each week.
Good luch with you back, and maybe I will start some yoga too to support my back.
Hello Rainesford!
It’s nice to see you at the Winger!
Thank you for your reply.
Jul 22, 2008 @ 15:42
Rainesford
^ Yoga was my lifesaver when I factured my back. It’s also very soothing.
Jul 22, 2008 @ 15:58
vivian
Carlinha
Sou mãe de uma ex-colega tua do ballet Vera Bublitz de Porto Alegre. Sempre procuro saber alguma coisa de ti através desse site e do site do PNB. Fiquei decepcionada ao ver que somente a Noelani Pantastico dançaria “Romeu e Julieta’ e logo imaginei que tinha acontecido algo sério. Não consegui saber mais nenhuma notícia até ler esse post. Imagino o período difícil e frustrante pelo qual tu passaste. Por outro lado fico feliz ao saber que conseguiste força suficiente para superar o trauma e, o mais importante, tirar lições muito positivas disto. E, mais ainda, vislumbrar novas perspectivas de vida.
Estou ansiosa para ver imagens e ler detahes das próximas performances.
Um abraço carinhoso,
Vivian
Jul 22, 2008 @ 20:28
kathy
Very helpful insight and information for anyone, but especially for students and new company members.
It’s so difficult to back up and see the big picture when something like ‘juliet’ is right in front of you.
I think writing that post will help not only you, but perhaps others, remember this valuable info.
thanks!
Jul 22, 2008 @ 20:49
Milt
I’m glad you’re feeling better. I hope that continues/
Jul 24, 2008 @ 03:21
Laurel
I completely agree with your thoughts on injuries. They really do highlight how amazing it is that the human body can dance. I’ve also found, with three months off for an ACL tear, that injuries let you meet so many kind new people, such as doctors and physical therapists. So glad that you’re back onstage again! Taking those first pirouettes/jumps makes you realize how it was all worth it…Good luck this fall!
Sep 18, 2008 @ 17:14