When Lizzie was younger, one of her ballet teachers told her that to get the roles she wanted, she had to lose weight, she revealed in a recent interview.
There’s a lot of talk about the health of ballerinas – the industry is plagued by weight issues and eating disorders. A BBC article sheds light on the health risks the profession carries due to its competitiveness and body type.
Lizzie was not immune to bullying because of her size. Scrolling through her social media accounts will show encouraging and insulting comments.
Lizzie stands above these negative comments because the positive impact she has on young people who don’t conform to stereotypes and feel they can follow their own dreams far outweighs the trolls. Despite this, Lizzie is no stranger to panic attacks and anxiety, reports Escxtra.
According to BuzzFeed, dancing helps Lizzy deal with anxiety that she suffers from pseudotumor cerebri, a condition that causes excess fluid around the brain. She is now an ambassador for Dancing for You, a disability awareness campaign.
Lizzie said: “Some people asked me to choose another career path, and I thought about quitting a few times. Then I had to think, ‘Should I let these people stop me from doing what I like ?'”
So what does Lizzie think of her fame and position as an advocate for tall dancers? Speaking to Teen Vogue Lizzy, she made it clear that she doesn’t think diversity in dance should be a big deal. It’s because if you want to dance, you can dance, and it’s as simple as that.
“It’s good to represent diversity in dance, she says. But there shouldn’t be diversity. We should all be equal.” She also reiterated this in an interview with BuzzFeed, saying, “If I can do everything anyone else can, why should I be in a separate category?”
She rejects the idea of ”plus-size” dancers and does not wish to categorize them as such. She believes that people who dance are dancers, and there is no need to identify a genre or put labels on it. This applies to all other professions and hobbies, not just dancing. People don’t need special categories to do what they love.
