There's a lot of crap on television. There's also beautiful, unforgettable, highly emotional moments. That's why I watch. A single moment of that sort makes up for all the crap.
My wife and I have watched every episode of every season of So You Think You Can Dance. The show took a hiatus during the covid years. It reappeared recently. So far this season has had a lot of memorable auditions, as the three judges select contestants for a Top Ten competition, if I recall the number correctly. (It's varied somewhat over different seasons.)
The audition that has stuck in my mind most strongly came from a 27-year old woman, Kaylee Bays, who was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome at the age of 21. Watch this video of her performance, which begins and ends in a wheelchair.
It brings tears to my eyes every time I see it.
I can't stop thinking about what she said to the judges. That last sentence, "As I lose pieces of myself, I will dance until I am dancing with my eyes," is amazingly beautiful and inspiring.
My doctors predict that I only have about five years left of mobility at this level. I feel more connected to myself as a human than I ever have. As I lose pieces of myself, I will dance until I am dancing with my eyes.
I've had painful sciatica in my right leg, hip, and butt for more than four years. In December of last year it got quite a bit worse, though initially in 2020 the pain was so bad I frequently had tears in my eyes for that reason.
I can't walk very far now. I can't go to my Tai Chi class now. I can't exercise without enduring some intense pain. I feel sorry for myself, even though I try to be as positive as possible about the prospect of finding some relief once my appointment at Salem Pain & Spine Specialists arrives in ten days.
The example of Kaylee Bays, who is much worse off than I am, yet has a much bigger smile than I'm able to manage most days, makes me feel that no matter how bad my pain is, and no matter how little I may be able to benefit from treatment, I can still fight as hard as I can to keep on doing the things I like to do and need to do.
For Bays, that is dancing. However she fares in the So You Think You Can Dance competition, she's clearly a winner. CrippleMedia describes some reasons why in "Breaking Barriers: Kaylee Bays' Triumph for Disability Representation on So You Think You Can Dance." Excerpt:
In the realm of performing arts, individuals with disabilities often encounter barriers to showcasing their talents. Kaylee Bays, a dancer hailing from Los Angeles who performs on wheels, etched her name in history as the first wheelchair user on So You Think You Can Dance. Her poignant and deeply passionate jazz solo, set to Pink’s “Never Not Gonna Not Dance Again,” embodied Bays’ journey as a disabled dancer.
The song serves as a potential anthem for disabled dancers, Highlighting that disabled dancers can still enjoy their passion, even after diagnosis or as their disability progresses, by adapting moves to what is accessible to them. At three, Bays embarked on her dance journey and pursued a professional career until her diagnosis intervened.
At 21, she received a life-altering diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder, after enduring years of unexplained pain. This syndrome causes joint dislocations, stretchy and fragile skin, and hypermobility. She was informed that she had to stop dancing, a prospect that left her heartbroken.
However, Bays was determined and taught herself to dance from her wheelchair. On the show, she candidly shared her feelings of isolation and expressed a desire for a fearless role model when she first became disabled. Now, she fulfills that role for her community.
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