Getting to Know Zippora Karz

A Tell-all Interview With Writer and Sugarplum Fairy Ballerina

Nov 2, 2009

Zippora Karz, a famous ballerina and author of The Sugarless Plum, gives words of inspiration for those fighting the battle with diabetes. This is part four of four.

Questions about Zippora

Zippora Karz: My favorite classical ballet to dance was as the Sugarplum Fairy in Balanchine’s, The Nutcracker. I loved her generosity and graciousness. When I stepped into that role, I felt the kind of unconditional love I described my mother as having, an acceptance for everyone in her kingdom. And I love dancing to Tchaikovsky’s music.

The neo classical ballet I loved dancing was Balanchine’s Apollo to music by Igor Stravinsky. I loved being out of the tutu, where I often felt a pressure to be perfect. Stravinsky’s music is playful and daring, and with Balanchine’s choreography, your body moves exactly as the music tells it to do. The first time I danced in Apollo I had just come through a very difficult period where I was questioning if this was the right profession for someone with insulin dependant diabetes. I also didn’t know if Peter Martins was going to cast me in leading roles after how terrible I had been looking from all my struggles with diabetes. When he included me in a new cast of Apollo it felt like I was being given back my life, I was in heaven.

Zippora Karz: I like holidays because they are a reason for everyone in my family to get together. But I don’t have a favorite one. I’ll tell you what my favorite things are today:

After years of little sleep and years of dinners after 11 pm these seemingly simple aspects of life bring me great peace, everyday. And even though I have to worry with my diabetes if I over eat because it affects my blood sugar levels, I love not worrying about getting into a leotard and if I gain a couple of pounds here and there!

Zippora Karz: I have many dear friends in my life and I’m a talker. If they are not in the same city we talk on the phone, and if they are we go to movies and just hang out. My cat Marley does something to make me laugh everyday. I’m perfectly happy watching a movie at home with her purring in my lap.

Zippora Karz: With each relationship I am learning more about how to love and be loved. My most recent relationship transitioned into a deep and intimate friendship that I could not be more grateful for. So as far as real love, I feel like I have it. While I don’t have an intimate partner at the moment, I feel like I am not looking for someone to fill a need in me the way I used to. When I look back at my performing career, I was definitely working out parental issues with my directors. I needed approval from them much like I felt in my early intimate relationships. Maybe it’s a bit like my transition to teaching, speaking and writing this book. I don’t feel like I need validation like I used to, and that carries over to how I feel about a love relationship. I feel like I can be there for another person in a way I have not before. So yes I do believe I will find love in a romantic relationship, but right now I am not looking. I am happy with all the ways I have love in my life.

Zippora Karz: I’d like to go a little deeper into what I mean by emotional health. I know some people believe it is important to stay positive and not focus on the negative. But there is a fine line between staying positive and denial. What works for me is to feel my feelings, and to use techniques to hold a space of acceptance while I am feeling that feeling. I have found for example if I am feeling overwhelmed and hopeless to see myself as a child feeling those feelings. Then, in my mind’s eye I imagine holding that child in arms of love. I think a health diagnosis is devastating, and we need to learn how to hold ourselves with love while we go through struggles and challenges.

The copyright of the article Getting to Know Zippora Karz in Athlete Biographies is owned by Lindsey Mason. Permission to republish Getting to Know Zippora Karz in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.