Dancing with “dis-ease” - How Re-Thinking Illness Can Open Doors with Lavinia Magliocco (Podcast Ep 28)

Published by: janean strong on 12-10-2017

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Enthralled with movement, music, and the human body from a early age, Lavinia Magliocco embarked on a career as a professional ballerina. She was derailed by illness at age 18, diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

For decades she struggled with debilitating symptoms, underwent two surgeries, and was given drugs and treatments which created a roller-coaster of remission and illness.


In 1990, She discovered the work of Joseph Pilates. With the help of her ballet teacher and Pilates therapist she made a full comeback to the stage.


In 2004, she met an extraordinary teacher of QiGong, Tai Chi, Kung Fu. After practicing QiGong for two months, she stopped taking drugs for Crohn’s, and hasn’t had a recurrence since.


Lavinia was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014... a journey she also shares with us



Some of the questions we will explore:

How, when diminished by illness, does one continue to fully express one’s essence in the world?

What does illness mean, if anything?

How is our connection to others and the Divine shaped by illness?

And finally, how do we continue to live in hope with the attendant grief and consciousness of our fragility?


Today, Lavinia teaches dancers and non-dancers at her studio: Equipoise – enlightened exercise in Portland, Oregon

Lavinia's website

A couple of books that Lavinia recommends:

Radical Wholeness by Philip Shepherd

Body Learning by Michael J Gelb

Keywords: Crohn's, cancer, pilates, qi gong, tai chi, remission, ballet, dancing, equipoise

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