Interview With Zippora Karz
The Words of an Inspiring Woman About Her Battle With Diabetes
Nov 2, 2009
Zippora Karz is a famous ballerina who recently released her story of perseverance and determination to stay on the stage while fighting her battle against diabetes. She is an inspiration to many that have diabetes, and she is currently a ballet teacher, mentor, and educator about diabetes.
Zippora Speaks About Inspiration
Lindsey Mason: You speak of many people whom you were inspired by, such as Balanchine and your grandmother. Who would you say had the most influence upon your life?
Zippora Karz: As a dancer the most dramatically felt influences were Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Suzanne Farrell, and my original ballet teacher Sheila Rozann.
But who has had the most influence upon my life would be my mother Ellen. Sadly, she has passed away so I need to refer to her in the past tense. My mother was a quiet woman and she never imposed her desires on me. She truly allowed me to be who I was, presented opportunities and gave me the freedom to explore what I wanted. Our relationship was not without its difficulties, having grown up with divorce and other dysfunctions, but she had the most beautiful heart and was a woman of great integrity and loyalty. I understand the meaning of unconditional love because of her.
Lindsey Mason: Who would you say is/was your role model or hero? Why?
Zippora Karz: I have had many role models. Most of them are spiritual women who have supported and helped guide me on my path, but who no one would have ever heard of. In my family there is my mother of course, my grandmother, and my aunt Rhonda. My grandmother was the one who initially helped me get on a healthy diet, and having been a dancer and health advocate she was a fighter! My aunt Rhonda is a spiritual pioneer who was always guiding and nurturing me and turned me on to many healers and teachers.
Lindsey Mason: What made you feel ready to write your story?
Zippora Karz: When I was diagnosed I searched the bookshelves for stories about people diagnosed with diabetes. I wanted to read about someone who had a similar struggle but was able to go on and live a full and passionate life. I couldn’t find one.
About the time I left the New York City Ballet in 1999 and started teaching and staging Balanchine Ballets, I also started sharing my story at diabetes events. From my very first talk, it was the people, the effect that sharing my story had on them, that showed me I might help them in the way I had wanted help.
I started the actual writing process when my mother was diagnosed with Cancer. I stopped traveling and moved back to LA to be with her. When we went through similar struggles trying to find the correct diagnosis, doctor, and protocol, I knew it was time to start writing what I had been through and what I had learned.
Please see Learning to Deal with Diabetes , Fighting the Good Fight, and Getting to Know Zippora Karz for the other installments of the interview.
 |
 |
 |
 |
