Professional dancer with medical condition defies the odds to achieve success
Paige Fraser-Hoffman is a professional ballerina like no other. She was diagnosed with scoliosis, or severe curvature of the spine, at the age of 13.
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A professional dancer whose career began in Pelham Manor is celebrating many successes after beating the odds that would have side-lined so many others.
Paige Fraser-Hoffman is a professional ballerina like no other. She was diagnosed with scoliosis, or severe curvature of the spine, at the age of 13.
The condition is most often found in children between the ages of 10 to 15 and usually requires surgery or the use of a brace.
It can be challenging for many and especially daunting for a girl with dreams of becoming a ballet dancer.
"As dancers, we use our center of gravity, alignment. All those things matter to keep us upright and to keep us where we need to be, whether we're jumping, turning. So to have something that's off affects how you move and how you carry yourself," she explains.
While Fraser-Hoffman's condition is challenging, it was by no means career-ending.
From classes at a dance studio in Pelham Manor, to onstage performances in "The Nutcracker" at the Tarrytown Music Hall, the Bronx-born dancer has persisted, step by step, into a career to be proud of.
"Currently, I'm in 'The Lion King' on Broadway. I auditioned for 'The Lion King' seven times. So another huge accomplishment and opportunity that I'm so grateful for because I look back and many people would have given up," Fraser-Hoffman says.
Her latest success came Saturday when it was designated as "Paige Fraser-Hoffman Day" in Westchester County.
"Westchester feels like home to me because it was where I began dancing," she says.
Fraser-Hoffman continues a regular course of physical therapy, pilates and hopes of keeping the progression of her condition at bay.
"I would love to dance forever, if I could. I've been dancing since I was 4 and it's allowed me to see the world. I've been able to travel, and teach and give back to my community, and I think it's a gift that will just continue to give to me in different ways," she says.
