Why me - preview of our new theatrical dance show

On Friday, February 16, 2024, we staged our new dance-theatre performance Zakaj jaz, which tells the story of Tadeja Polanšček, who is fighting multiple sclerosis, in the Ljudski dom in Ljubljana. We've been creating the show for a long time, and that's why we were all impatiently waiting to finally be able to show it and dance. This time, our first spectators were 2nd-year students of the Ljubljana Secondary School of Health and professors. The play contains fragments of her life - from the beginning, when the disease was "predicted" as eye problems, to the diagnosis that cut into her young life and completely paralyzed it for a moment, but Tadeja persevered despite everything, completed her studies in physiotherapy, worked as a physiotherapist, started a family - all to show the disease that there was no place for it in her life. Nevertheless, the disease progressed, first taking away the strength in her legs and putting her in a wheelchair, and then the strength in her arms. The disease takes many forms, but for her, who is still full of life and tries to live a full family and social life, hers is tiring and often exhausts her.

She herself says that she is not the type of person to feel sorry for herself, she never complains, and she also doesn't understand people who have everything and complain about little things. She is also a lecturer and teaches students her experience and knowledge. At the same time, she wants one thing - TO BE HEALTHY.

Tadeja came with her husband Marko and after the performance spoke to the students about what she misses the most, how she feels pain, what the disease brought and took away from her. In the end, she urged the students to live life to the fullest, to take advantage of opportunities and to be compassionate and respectful. Both she and her husband received a big round of applause from the students of SZŠLJ.

This was followed by a lecture by dr. Nina Zupančič, who is a neurologist at UKC and researches dementia, and emphasizes how important it is to treat people with this disease as a whole person, to pay attention to them, listen to them and talk to them. She is convinced that art, especially soothing music, helps such patients to calm down, to not be afraid, to live more easily and to accept treatment.

All three of us (Sara Brčvak, Peter Capuder and Katja Vidmar) who danced, and Albert Podrekar, who created the wonderful projection for this performance on Friday, but we felt that we had again done something extremely beautiful and important, because this time we will also continue with charity - this time we will donate the funds from the proceeds to the Let's Know Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Thank you Tadeja for allowing us to "tell" your story through dance, thank you for your support, voice and smile, thank you to the students and professors of SZŠLJ for giving us such a nice round of applause, and thank you Dr. Nina Zupančič for her lecture.

May spring bring good times to everyone!