Dancer who was bullied for her weight is now inspiring many others in the most wholesome way
Lizzy Howell is an extremely talented woman who was bullied for her weight on social media. Since she was in preschool, she has been dancing. Her parents wanted her to be active and social, so they enrolled her in a number of sports. However, it was the dance that had her heart.
Howell suffers from pseudotumor cerebri. According to Healthline, "Pseudotumor cerebri is a condition in which the pressure around your brain increases, causing headaches and vision problems." Dancing also helped her manage her health and prevented the more serious side effects of the condition, per Goalcast.
Before getting diagnosed, she went completely blind for two minutes and frequently suffered from debilitating migraines. She spoke in Matter’s Unstoppable video, "I’ve been bullied in dance since I was six. It still happens when I go to conventions. I had one girl deliberately step on my foot with a tap shoe.” The bullying, however, does not stop with the classmates for Lizzy. Dance teachers have criticized and discriminated against her throughout her life, claiming she needs to lose weight. She spoke to Dia & Co., "A teacher at the time pulled me and my aunt aside and said that I needed to lose weight if I wanted to get better parts in the Nutcracker.”
Lizzy refused to be discouraged by those who said she would never be excellent at dance. She told PEOPLE, "Moving past [the criticism] was hard. I just have to remember why I stick with [ballet] — I can’t imagine my life without it.” Lizzy presently attends tap and ballet classes twice a week in addition to contemporary, lyrical, modern, and jazz courses. She began sharing videos on her Instagram account to keep her family up to speed on her development. Her videos went viral and comments started pouring in admiring her courage and skills. She says, "I like being a role model to others, especially to younger girls struggling to find themselves. I don’t like being called a ‘plus sized’ dancer because if I can do everything anyone else can, why should I be categorized differently?”
People like watching her incredible dancing movements and applaud her for shattering stereotypes related to the physique of dancers. Lizzy is using her newfound fame to advocate for Dancers with Disabilities. Lizzy's dedication and talent in the field of dance inspire a lot of people. Her self-assurance, as well as the fact that she refuses to let other people's opinions of her influence her performance is incredible.