Soloist Ballerina With New York City Ballet Dances With Diabetes

Online, November 17, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Zippora Karz a former soloist ballerina with the New York City Ballet is interviewed by Grier Cooper, a former dancer with Miami City Ballet. Karz danced with NYCB from 1983 through 1999 and was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes in 1987, just as she was being featured in solo roles. She found a way to overcome diabetes and live her dream despite her illness. Her memoir of these experiences, The Sugarless Plum, was published in 2009.

The tools that helped her the most were education and acceptance. "When I was diagnosed I set out to learn everything I could about how to take care of my body. But equally important was learning to accept the things I could not control, as my life took an unexpected turn and I felt my dreams slipping away. It was a very long process, one I am still on, desiring to fulfill my personal potential" says Karz.

Karz now serves as a teacher and repetiteur for the George Balanchine Trust, rehearsing and staging Balanchine's choreography for a host of national and international dance companies. She is also a diabetes spokesperson and educator who regularly addresses major diabetes conferences and organizations worldwide. Find out more about Zippora, The Sugarless Plum, and diabetes control at http://www.zipporakarz.com.