When he heard the diagnosis, he did not wonder if he would be able to continue dancing, but rather when he would be able to do so again. With persistence and determination, he relearned how to work with his body and did everything he could to continue doing what he loved most.
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Today we are launching our Christmas project, THE DANCE OF LIFE.
THE DANCE OF LIFE is a story about courage, beauty and hope. It is a story about an extraordinary dancer who finds strength in his love of dance and does not give in to illness.
Kristóf Szabó – the first soloist of the Polish National Ballet. His artistic creations reveal passion and great sensitivity. He can easily embody the character he is playing. His dancing is not only technically perfect and aesthetically pleasing, but also reaches much deeper, touching and moving the audience.
Although Kristóf always enjoyed expressing himself through dance, his interest in ballet developed relatively late for this art form. Kristóf began his ballet education at the age of sixteen. Before that, he pursued ballroom dancing and was involved in the Youth Music Theatre and the Rampa Theatre in Warsaw. The fact that he was accepted into the General Ballet School in Warsaw at such a late age and then completed the school’s nine-year programme in two years is a testament to the young dancer’s extraordinary talent, diligence, perseverance and tenacity. His uniqueness was confirmed by his graduation from the Ballet School with honours and receiving the title of the best graduate of Ballet Schools in Poland.
In the 2013/14 season, Kristóf began working at the Polish National Ballet, and in 2017 he became its soloist. Since this year, Kristóf has been dancing as the first soloist of the Polish National Ballet.
A few years ago, his journey to perfecting his artistic skills was interrupted by illness – type 1 diabetes. Kristóf’s lifestyle had to change completely. He had to change his diet, habits and develop a new way of working. His perseverance, dedication to his passion and joy of life are a huge encouragement to other people struggling with this disease, but also to everyone who is lucky enough to know Kristóf.
As the Dance to Be Foundation, we have been supporting him in his needs almost from the moment he was diagnosed with diabetes. For several years now, we have been witnessing his extraordinary passion, which does not give in to the disease.
In order for Kristóf to safely continue his profession, he needs specialised equipment to control his sugar levels during physical exertion. Thanks to a professional insulin pump, he can safely perform on stage, but his current pump is worn out and could stop working at any moment.
DANCE OF LIFE is our Christmas project. As the Dance to Be Foundation, we want to buy him a new insulin pump so that he can continue to dance and create his choreographies safely and without fear.
We invite all our friends to join DANCE OF LIFE.
With your help, we can keep his dancing going!
TANIEC ŻYCIA → www.dancetobe.org/taniec-zycia/
foto © Karolina Gmurczyk
