Dancing against cancer: Potsdam women find strength in rhythm

Dancing against cancer: Potsdam women find strength in rhythm

Potsdam. A small gymnasium room in the Ernst-von-Bergmann-Klinikum Potsdam becomes the scene of a powerful act of self-healing. "Dance The Pain Away" sounds from the speakers, while cancer patients dance under the guidance of dance teacher Steven O’fearna. There are no strict choreographies here - every woman moves according to her own rhythm to find joy in the movement. This is a life -affirming break, especially for women who fight with the side effects of breast operations and chemotherapy.

Kathrin Langguth, a brave breast cancer patient, knows the challenges only too well. Fatigue - an exhaustive side effect of chemotherapy - has often pressed to the ground. "Movement is the only thing that helps," she emphasizes. Her way back to more vitality began with small steps, which they finally led to Sanssouci Castle. "Every step can be too much," she says, and that is a constant tightrope walk between effort and exhaustion.

Dance therapy against exhaustion

The realization that movement helps against exhaustion is not just a personal experience of Kathrin. Dorothea Fischer, chief physician of gynecology in the EVB, explains that the medical point of view has changed: "We advise not to protect themselves because it leads to muscle mining." Studies show that women who remain active can improve both their quality of life and their chances of survival. The dance courses also offer a valuable opportunity for social contact, which makes it considerably easier to deal with the challenges of the disease.

Stefanie Niesdorf, who dances during her radiation therapy, impressively confirms this: "I feel more lively, not as weak, somehow recovered." Despite the leading legs that have left chemotherapy, she raises the strength to get lost in dance. "Movement really gets everything better," she says, radiating an unshakable confidence that many of the women present in.