The Dance Of Imperfection & Compassion
By Anadonis Nephilim
Westernized society demands a great deal of people. It demands our time, efforts, attention, resources, and even health.
Many of us are fully aware of this fact, and strive to meet this criteria in order to keep the pace and have some semblance of a fair life.
Zooming in, there are sects of people which also run these gauntlets, but with challenges. These challenges come in the form of health – specifically disabilities, be they physical, mental, somatic, disease, and so on. The efforts they make take triple the work of the average healthy person and only receive half the yield.
Hi. My name is Anadonis (“Ana” for short), and I am one of those people mentioned above as well as part of team SharQui.
Why am I writing this?
Simply put, I like to connect and share stories with others. I like to connect people to various communities through common grounds and interests (there’s actually a lot more we all have in common than many of you realize). Perhaps some of you will relate, perhaps some of you will (hopefully) be able to read through this and gain another level of perspective.
In short, I have been a dancer for 13+ years, six of those being professional, and four of them being a dance instructor. I extensively studied belly dance and cultural dances from the tender age of 17, and fell in love with the art so much that I continued to teach and build my career… until I crashed and burned at age 35, and eventually had to give it up.
The lynch pin to the death of my dancing career was due to a myriad of disabilities – these ranged from adult ADHD, fibromyalgia (a very painful nerve & muscle condition), chronic fatigue syndrome (constant exhaustion), panic attacks, migraines, insomnia, digestive disorders… long story short, a smorgasbord of debilitating elements that – candidly speaking, are a real shit time. As you can imagine, they certainly impact athletic movements, handling day-to-day tasks, especially in the work environment.
Rest assured, the road to recovery has required endless readjusting, adaptations, and difficult conversations. I felt like I had lost my identity and would never be myself again, or even half of the stellar go-getter I once was.
So what does this memoir have to do with SharQui and the dance community?
SharQui has been and continues to be an integral part of my journey, both when I was actively dancing and teaching, and more so providing opportunities when we had later reunited under different circumstances.
I am someone with mobility & faculty conditions. I deal with pain every single day to the point that it causes fatigue. The ADHD causes severe memory challenges, roller coasters in energy and motivation, and the chronic anxiety turns the faculties needed in order to keep projects and efforts sustained completely on its head. There’s more I could mention, but all the same… I am a very hard worker, and I have visions, and drive and dreams to do my best and be great despite these disabilities.
The SharQui team took me in in good faith and provided an oasis in a world which had been (and still often can be) unforgiving, not understanding, and uncompassionate. They have been incredibly patient and supportive in the curve of working with me and my challenges. Instead of being met with disdain, as I had been in many previous work environments, they chose to meet me where I was at.
Additionally, I was impressed with the additional measures they’ve taken to accommodate other people – seated classes for those who face limited motion capabilities, and the multilingual instructors they’ve brought on board to accommodate students whose first language is not English. Learning to cope with new adjustments and a world that feels foreign is no easy feat; it takes resilience, mettle, and the hope that we are in a nurturing environment.
Which brings us to a key term; surely many of you have heard the term inclusion, yes? Well my friends, what I have experienced with SharQui is what inclusivity looks like: recognizing, being patient, asking questions, practicing awareness, and adjusting to crucial needs of others who face limiting circumstances.
We may not experience these hardships ourselves, or understand the daily struggles that stem from them, but it is by making an active effort to learn more about someone and embracing their imperfections that builds a better world of understanding, kindness, and unity.
The people of SharQui walk their talk; Quality of life for all. Inclusion. Acceptance. Compassion. Valuing people. For that, I am glad to open up and share my experiences in how their compassion and beliefs in my strengths has given me hope, and allowed me to find a rhythm in which I can contribute my best in a place that values me despite my conditions, not in spite of them. I truly believe that with extensive time, caring, and effort, the entire world can do this too.
And hey, it starts with you my friends. As the saying goes, be the change you wish to see. Small ripples eventually yield larger ones. As Oreet likes to say, “here we grow”.
Are you ready to find your rhythm in a space that sees you, supports you, and nurtures your journey?
Join us today and experience that SharQui’s inclusion, acceptance, and compassion aren’t just words, but a way of life.
With warm regards,
Ana from team SharQui