“I’ve been dancing since I was four. In high school, I decided to get serious and auditioned all over the US. I was accepted at one company/place, but the only downside was that your performance ability is solely based on weight. I auditioned and was told to maintain my weight until I started birth control for ongoing period problems. This caused weight gain.
I was removed from our performance and constantly made fun of and looked down upon by people I danced with. Then covid hit and we were all sent home. My mental health worsened and I decided one step was to stop my birth control. After quitting it, I started to lose weight and have lost over 15 more pounds than I was before I auditioned. I may get multiple periods a month, but at least I am allowed to perform again.”
-Anonymous