When a Dream and Life Meet
By: Victoria Sottosanti
Naomi’s Ballet Story
With her dream first deferred, then restored and realized in her own dancing body at the age of 37, Naomi stepped into her calling to dance strong for as long as possible — sharing her desire and resources for growth with others.
The dancer had a dream.
Abandoning her dance training at age 19 to pursue a career in physical therapy. Naomi did not expect to ever to return to dance. But later she was offered the blessing to teach at a local studio, which enabled her to keep her toes in the dance world and keep moving, but she never expected to resume training or dance as a career. / further her training.
After having two children and a chronic hip injury, Naomi’s ability to continue dancing even on a light schedule had stopped. It was a sad time, dancing had always defined her and it had always been the way that she most deeply connected with God. A few years after grappling with accepting the end of this road, she had the dream.
A year after a chronic hip injury stopped her from dancing, Naomi woke from a dream in which she was dancing the lead amongst a sea of white tutus. Only to grieve all over again the loss of dance in her life.
She hardly recognized her own dancing; it was beyond anything she had experienced in real life. But awakening from the dream, brought on the grief all over again of not being able to dance.
“God, I don’t understand. I thought I buried that part of me.”
Life moved on, but the memory carved deep.
It was one year into her six year break from ballet, when Naomi had a prophetic vision while sleeping. Naomi was a thirty-year-old new mom, trying to recover from chronic a birth-related hip injury when she stopped dancing. Kids became priority - took the place of dance - tried to push it aside. Ignored. and poured energy elsewhere - children and family. focus on family.
a different view of the rigor.
Five years later, after healing from her hip injury, Naomi was invited to attend a class at Northeastern Ballet Theatre with her niece under former prima-ballerina for the Boston Ballet, Edra Toth. Her niece had needed a ride, but told her Aunty Nay to bring her ballet shoes, “just in case.” As Naomi approached the studio, Edra looked at Naomi and said, “you should be in my professional class.” Naomi, blushing, assured Edra she was no professional dancer. Edra, smiling, assured her to come on in and give class a try anyway. Everything changed in Edra’s classes, which called for precise technique, demanding physicality, and spiritual artistry. Naomi fell in love with ballet all over again and decided to come back to dance.
One year later, one of NBT’s company members produced a series of variations from the ballet Le Corsaire. The costumes: white tutus. As Naomi performed a lead role in the dance, she stood at the front of the stage with a ring of dancers around her and the image from her dream came to her. Naomi’s experienced joy and confidence that she was walking in the right path. / Confirmation it was worth the risk. / the sacrifices she mad was worth it. “I felt the weight of that calling,” Naomi said, “the responsibility of it in a good way.” With her dream first deferred, then restored and realized in her own dancing body at the age of 37, Naomi stepped into her calling to dance strong for as long as possible — sharing her desire and resources for growth with others.
flesh out theme/meat of own process that has informed her work.
I don’t think there’s a joint in my body that I haven’t had to deal with in the last six years.
I’ve had to look into interventions for all sorts of issues.
process of getting back into dance
started off at one class a week and remember just going home and laying on the floor in the evenings and trying to do the strengthening/conditioning exercises / stretching from before and realized how far my body was from when I was doing it before. Thinking - is it ever going to get better than this? This is really hard. Wanting to dance more - talking to family about making time for momma to do more//another class a week.
Physically it was super hard - after the first month / full cast snow rehearsal, my back was sore for a month. every stage keep hitting barriers and go through a period of pain and learning everything i can about how to address wisely and cross-train - apply knowledge to body process - then pain goes away and I have a new level of freedom in my body — new level of skill and mobility.
also recognizing that i needed outside help - there are things I can’t do for myself. seeking treatment in the past I had been reticent to do. also need interventions too.
Naomi’s dream touched down to real life, inspiring many dancers whether young or old, professional or beginner, weak or injured, to know that dancing is possible. Watching the magic of Naomi’s soul coming to life in the studio and on the stage sparks a vision and hope that fuels many dancers to keep progressing. Keep pushing. Keep moving. Her scientific background as a therapist combined with her artful passion as a ballerina, paves a unique road forward for those who choose to take it. Naomi’s gifts remind us that it is never too late. And that our dreams, they exist for us to reach.
Career Path: A Dual Vision
“Don’t even think about working with dancers until you’ve worked in the neuro or pediatric field for at least ten years.”
— Mickey Cassella Kulak, PT, Former Physical Therapist of the Boston Ballet
How Naomi’s Two Passions Collided
From a young age Naomi knew she was going to dance, but when she was fourteen, she had to make a decision: pursue a professional career as a ballerina or go into another field entirely. After considering many factors, including her own obsession with bones, muscles, and movement in the body, Naomi decided she wanted to be a Physical Therapist for dancers (the best of both worlds!). From then on, Naomi whole-heartedly pursued her new life goal to help dancers train and perform to their fullest potential. As early as high school and continuing into college, Naomi’s research and chosen fields of study revolved around injury prevention, interventions, and optimizing performance for dancers.
After graduating with a BS in Physical Therapy from the University of Vermont (2000), Naomi had the privilege of shadowing one of the top dance therapists in the field: Boston Ballet Company’s Physical Therapist at the time, Mickey Cassella Kulak, PT. Naomi, eager in her youth, will never forget the greatest lesson Mickey had ever taught her one day during training. She looked Naomi straight in the eyes and said, “don’t even think about working with dancers until you’ve worked in the neuro or pediatric field for at least ten years.”
Naomi chose neuro rehab. The mind is the control room of the body, arguably the dancer’s most powerful asset or greatest hindrance. Studying the pathways of the mind that trigger, connect, and react to our movement, has been the most rewarding study Naomi has committed herself to. She looks forward to sharing her findings with studios and schools to benefit dancers with scientific insights, applicable knowledge, and proven practices. At the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science 2019 Conference, Naomi ran into her old mentor. “Mickey,” she said, “I’ve spent the past twenty years in the neuro field; I think I’m ready to start.” Mickey applauded Naomi’s Dance Physical Therapy journey and invited her to come and shadow her once again.
