Inspire Belly Dance: Julie Eason

Now, Julie is a business woman, marketing, PR & copywriter, so obviously before I started the story I was relating deeply to her plight. Of course, she also used to be a ballet dancer, and I've been known to tell a story or two about screaming bloody murder as my mom tried to put 5 year old me in a pair of pink tights. It's why as soon as I could, I moved to jazz (no tights required! Huzzah!).

But the statement of Julie's that made me cue the waterworks was about how puberty, something you know that's inevitable and pretty much out of our control, ruined her dream of becoming a prima ballerina.

"I became a teenager, sprouted hips and boobs, and was 'released' from my dance company," Julie said. "After dieting like crazy to lose my hips and a painful surgery to 'fix' my feet, I tried to continue dancing ballet. But my body just wasn't the right shape anymore."
~Julie Eason, From Ballet Refugee to Belly Dance Business Guru

That paragraph alone has three boo-hoo-hoo moments for me:

1. She was released from her dance company. What horrible human beings. How can anyone do that to another person, let alone a teenager? As if we don't have enough problems as teen girls, let's add, "Oh by the way, your body is wrong. All wrong. You can no longer be a ballet dancer. Thanks for playing in this week's puberty-roulette."
2. Try to 'fix' one's body. Ok, this is why I lovelovelove belly dance. There's no 'fixing' anything. Those hips you think are too big? Great. Actually, go out and get some more of that. Your stomach isn't flat enough? All the more to roll, honey. And yeah, it's supposed to shake like that. 
3. That she kept trying! She loved dance so much, she would do anything to get back on the dance floor.

Well Julie, I am glad you are a belly dancer now. I really enjoyed your answers, and good luck in the contest!