*cross post*

I'm planning to write an article on belly dancers who have a (chronic) illness. I have once started a topic on this before on Bhuz and I was surpriced to see how many dancers have a (chronic) illness. Since I am one of those dancers and I know I'm not the only one out there I thought it would be a good idea to share stories.

(btw I won't be using other peoples stories without permission)

I'd like to know:

1.) If you have a (chronic) illness, did you have it already before you started dancing? Or did you get it after you were already dancing?
2.) If you already were ill, was it hard to take up classes?
3.) question for pro dancers: I you were already ill before starting your belly dance career, how did you decide to go pro? How does it affect your career? Or if you got ill after you were already teaching or perforing, how did it change things for you?
4.) question for everybody: how does being ill affect your ability to dance?
5.) Does belly dance do any good for your illness?
6.) If you have anything else to mention please do so :-)


I shall start but without giving away too much, otherwise the article will be boring.
I was already ill when I started taking up classes. I thought it would be good for my health to do some light exercise (but I can't call belly dance light exersize!). It was not my intention to go pro, but due to circumsances it just went that way. It was very hard, because I tried to keep up with teaching classes in different towns. In the end I had to quit because I got a burnout. After that I planned it all more carefully. Performing appeared to be the beter way to go for me; less exhausting and beter payment. Still I always kept some classes going, but workshops was the way to go. However that's also very exhausting.
I think if it wasn't for belly dance I would be much more ill by now, it keeps me from becoming a zombi. But then again, there are times when I cannot dance, like now. I don't know if I want to go back teaching again, I have been asked and it is tempting, but all the hassles around it (marketing etc.) are too much. I'll see, it's something I can always pick up again. As for performing, that's a bit easier to get back to, it's more likely I go that direction again.

Btw, I haven't been on Tribe for ages because of being ill