Stepping onto the stage at the 24 SEVEN Dance Competition, Elizabeth Zalevsky (10) took a big breath, trying to calm her nerves. It was her first-ever solo performance, and naturally, she was eager, but nervous, for the music to begin.

“There were so many details that my dance teacher had told me to think about, but as soon as I stepped on the stage, all those things left my brain,” Zalevsy said. “I guess I wasn’t really aware of what I was doing, but at the same time, all of the moves seemed to come out right.”

Mid-performance, Zalvesky’s back started to bother her. The pain, instead of distracting her, and breaking her flow, sparked her focus, renewing Zalevsky’s concentration on the quality of her dance.

“I had to do everything in my power to make it seem like everything was fine, and to keep dancing,” Zalevsky said. “That’s kind of how dance always is: no matter what is going on, you’ve just gotta keep dancing through it and deal with it after.” 

Various joint and muscle pains have plagued Zalevsky since she began dancing, and now, in this climactic moment, she was not about to let it affect her performance. 

“I realized, ‘Wow, I’m on stage right now and I’m dancing a solo, MY solo’” Zalevsky said.

The anxiety she had felt only a few moments before, seemed to float away; the pain, and her excitement, brought her fully into the dance, conscious of every carefully-choreographed step.

Ever since Zalevsky began dancing, she has been extremely passionate about the sport.  Her first performance—a jazz dance for her summer recital—really cemented her commitment to the sport. 

“I finished that dance and it just hit me,” Zalevsky said. “As I waited on stage for the lights to go out I kinda reflected on my choice to do dance, and at that moment I knew [dance] was what I wanted to do. I had performed in the past for rhythmic gymnastics, but it was nothing like being on stage at a dance recital.”

She thoroughly enjoyed being on stage: dance gave her a way to express herself, and expend some energy, all while getting lost in the music.

“Dance, just like any other sport, has its difficulties: some of which are the pressure to be super flexible or have a specific body type,” Zalevsky said. “There’s also the risk of injuries. A lot of random injuries can happen just from overuse of a muscle or joint or just not having perfect form. [When doing] things like jumps, it can be really easy to land wrong and end up hurting yourself.” 

The flexibility needed to participate in dance and the constant strain on her muscles resulted in pain that followed Zalevsky out of the dance studio. It became a part of her everyday life. The pain, which stemmed from the over-extension and general overuse of her muscles, is mainly caused by the rigorous exercise dance requires. Zalevsy began to wear braces for various joints, valuing the support they gave her when doing daily tasks. 

Even with the braces, the pain still affected Zalevsky. She went to multiple doctors, trying to get a diagnosis. 

 “I have had to get tested for things like arthritis because of the constant joint and muscle pain I have,” Zalevsky said. “Most doctors have just told me it’s from the stress on my body from the overuse of my joints. I still haven’t really gotten a straight answer from them.”

Zalevsky said that while not many things help her cope—as the pain is somewhat constant—her love of the sport makes it all worth it. 

“Dance is just something to help me channel my emotions into something physical rather than just bottling everything up,” Zalevsky said.  “It really helps me express myself and how I’m feeling at any given time.”

Continuing to dance, Zalevsky has doubled down, putting on a brace for muscle pain, and pushing through it; continuing to do, and love her sport.