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Meet 15-Year-Old Ballerina Lizzy Who Challenges Body Stereotypes In Dance
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Click to unmute Plus-size ballerina Lizzy Howell fights stereotypes with dance. The 15-year-old from Milford, Delaware has been dancing for 10 years, and became an inspiration for thousands when a clip of her nailing a series of fouetté turns went viral on the internet. Besides ballet, Lizzy also practices jazz and tap dancing. She trains 4 days per week and proves that dedication beats everything. On top of that, dancing helps Howell manage anxiety from her pseudotumor cerebri (a condition that causes excess fluid around the brain). She also has become an ambassador for Dancing for You, a disability awareness campaign.
RELATED:
Click to unmute Plus-size ballerina Lizzy Howell fights stereotypes with dance. The 15-year-old from Milford, Delaware has been dancing for 10 years, and became an inspiration for thousands when a clip of her nailing a series of fouetté turns went viral on the internet. Besides ballet, Lizzy also practices jazz and tap dancing. She trains 4 days per week and proves that dedication beats everything. On top of that, dancing helps Howell manage anxiety from her pseudotumor cerebri (a condition that causes excess fluid around the brain). She also has become an ambassador for Dancing for You, a disability awareness campaign.
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What do you think ?
Stille20 8 years ago
Chubby girls wants to dance, let her dance. She's not asking to be a famous ballerina, just to dance, which is good for her health. I don't know why people are getting so angry about this.
Cesi Baca 8 years ago
I think sadly the only reason people are applauding her is because of her weight. If she were the average size ballet dancer, no one would see anything special about her dancing. It's almost insulting to her. It's as if seeing a girl her size who can actually do some basic ballet moves is amazing and wonderful.
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Sheryl 8 years ago
I think it's great to not care of what people think or what community says you should look like. But being overweight is not healthy.
blugeagua 8 years ago
You don't know that. Just because someone is "overweight" doesn't mean they are not healthy. There are skinny people who eat nothing but junk and sugar all day. And there are plenty of fat people who eat only veggies and fruits. Sometime no matter what a person does they can't change the way their body looks. This is probably just the way she is and she can't help it.
Load More Replies...
Cesi Baca 8 years ago
Well to be fair I googled and looked at the Mayo Clinic website to see if her condition (Pseudotumor cerebri) is connected to her obesity. It's not. In fact it seems to be the opposite with obesity making u more likely to develope it. Part of recommended treatment is weight loss for obese patients as this may improve symptoms. She is a lovely girl, but once again the internet is giving us a nice feel good story that hides the reality of the situation and ignores the not so feel good fact that obesity is harming her and limiting ability as a dancer.
Load More Replies...
whatyouwanttosaybutyourpolitcorrectdontletyou 8 years ago
If your tall you can't be a jockey. You can ride a horse but not as a prof jockey. You can be fat and dance but don't bother us. If somone think this is cute, do you think heart attack when you are 17 is cute as well? When you are obese and you tell: i'm proud of it, political correct person will say: good for you, bravo. But when you smoke you can't hear something like this, why? Both things are dangerous to you as hell.
Master Markus 8 years ago
I will say one thing on the jockey bit: I DO think that jockeys should be allowed to be heavier than they currently are, just across the board, because the weight limit causes a fair amount of jockeys to resort to unhealthy methods of keeping weight off and sometimes develop eating disorders. I still understand having jockeys be small, light-weight people, but can we adjust that just a bit so that they can live like normal humans too? ON TOPIC: I have no idea how she got to be obese. I will at least give her a bit of credit for maybe trying to take some weight off, though it'll apparently take more than dance classes. P.S. You might not be able to be a JOCKEY in your example, but there ARE other horse riding jobs and sports. Similarly, there ARE forms of dancing wherein being light and thin is not as much of a necessity. Just something to think about.
Load More Replies...
Sharita Sarmah 8 years ago
Just curious....she is this good in ballet, how has she not lost those weight over the years!!????
Your Highness 8 years ago
Because she is far from being THAT good. Even my little sister in law who just danced for 4 years (from ages 7 to 11), only 3 hours a week and has not practiced for 7 years (she's 18 now) is still a way better dancer than Lizzie. That girl just has the basics down, period. It's hilarious that she is being praised for what she's doing despite not even being on pointe. Believe me, if she ever gets to a decent level, she will be shedding the pounds naturally while reaching it. 😅
Load More Replies...
Volkan Başoğlu 8 years ago
A couple of years later she won't be able to walk because of those heavy preassure on her knees. What she doing is great but not healthy.
Sasha Bharti 8 years ago
I'm not being nasty but she's very big for someone so young! That really can't be doing any good for her joints or her development!
Jasminka 8 years ago
I get f*****g made fun of for being skinny all the time. I don't have a special word to protect my feelings."Not it's not fat it's 'plus siz
Marco Andreas 8 years ago
That's something so many people don't get, thank you so much!
Load More Replies...
Sean Yepez 6 years ago
you go girl dont let any one take you down you probable dance better that all thous girls at the convention
Stille20 8 years ago
Chubby girls wants to dance, let her dance. She's not asking to be a famous ballerina, just to dance, which is good for her health. I don't know why people are getting so angry about this.
Cesi Baca 8 years ago
I think sadly the only reason people are applauding her is because of her weight. If she were the average size ballet dancer, no one would see anything special about her dancing. It's almost insulting to her. It's as if seeing a girl her size who can actually do some basic ballet moves is amazing and wonderful.
Load More Replies... Sheryl 8 years ago
I think it's great to not care of what people think or what community says you should look like. But being overweight is not healthy.
blugeagua 8 years ago
You don't know that. Just because someone is "overweight" doesn't mean they are not healthy. There are skinny people who eat nothing but junk and sugar all day. And there are plenty of fat people who eat only veggies and fruits. Sometime no matter what a person does they can't change the way their body looks. This is probably just the way she is and she can't help it.
Load More Replies... Cesi Baca 8 years ago
Well to be fair I googled and looked at the Mayo Clinic website to see if her condition (Pseudotumor cerebri) is connected to her obesity. It's not. In fact it seems to be the opposite with obesity making u more likely to develope it. Part of recommended treatment is weight loss for obese patients as this may improve symptoms. She is a lovely girl, but once again the internet is giving us a nice feel good story that hides the reality of the situation and ignores the not so feel good fact that obesity is harming her and limiting ability as a dancer.
Load More Replies... whatyouwanttosaybutyourpolitcorrectdontletyou 8 years ago
If your tall you can't be a jockey. You can ride a horse but not as a prof jockey. You can be fat and dance but don't bother us. If somone think this is cute, do you think heart attack when you are 17 is cute as well? When you are obese and you tell: i'm proud of it, political correct person will say: good for you, bravo. But when you smoke you can't hear something like this, why? Both things are dangerous to you as hell.
Master Markus 8 years ago
I will say one thing on the jockey bit: I DO think that jockeys should be allowed to be heavier than they currently are, just across the board, because the weight limit causes a fair amount of jockeys to resort to unhealthy methods of keeping weight off and sometimes develop eating disorders. I still understand having jockeys be small, light-weight people, but can we adjust that just a bit so that they can live like normal humans too? ON TOPIC: I have no idea how she got to be obese. I will at least give her a bit of credit for maybe trying to take some weight off, though it'll apparently take more than dance classes. P.S. You might not be able to be a JOCKEY in your example, but there ARE other horse riding jobs and sports. Similarly, there ARE forms of dancing wherein being light and thin is not as much of a necessity. Just something to think about.
Load More Replies... Sharita Sarmah 8 years ago
Just curious....she is this good in ballet, how has she not lost those weight over the years!!????
Your Highness 8 years ago
Because she is far from being THAT good. Even my little sister in law who just danced for 4 years (from ages 7 to 11), only 3 hours a week and has not practiced for 7 years (she's 18 now) is still a way better dancer than Lizzie. That girl just has the basics down, period. It's hilarious that she is being praised for what she's doing despite not even being on pointe. Believe me, if she ever gets to a decent level, she will be shedding the pounds naturally while reaching it. 😅
Load More Replies... Volkan Başoğlu 8 years ago
A couple of years later she won't be able to walk because of those heavy preassure on her knees. What she doing is great but not healthy.
Sasha Bharti 8 years ago
I'm not being nasty but she's very big for someone so young! That really can't be doing any good for her joints or her development!
Jasminka 8 years ago
I get f*****g made fun of for being skinny all the time. I don't have a special word to protect my feelings."Not it's not fat it's 'plus siz
Marco Andreas 8 years ago
That's something so many people don't get, thank you so much!
Load More Replies... Sean Yepez 6 years ago
you go girl dont let any one take you down you probable dance better that all thous girls at the convention
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