Dundee dancer Emma Hally has dealt with a number of health challenges – from contracting Covid to a shock leukaemia diagnosis.
But, despite everything, the 25-year-old never stopped dancing.
And now, she’s teaching and encouraging others in Dundee to develop a love for dance too.
Emma has a life-long passion for dance, especially belly dancing, as well as yoga and meditation.
She was a fit and healthy 24-year-old when she caught Covid in the summer of 2021.
Contracting the virus then led her on an even more difficult health journey.
Dancer despite leukaemia
She endured months of severe bone pain, headaches and other debilitating symptoms before blood tests culminated in a shock diagnosis of leukaemia.
But dancing helped her through.
When we talked to her a year on from her initial diagnosis in September, she revealed: “I’ve always loved dancing.
“From when I used to dance with my mum to the Sugababes and Shania Twain, to when I discovered my love for belly dancing.
“I continued to dance throughout all of my treatments, where I could manage.
“I started doing free online classes for the cancer community.”
Despite still undergoing chemotherapy treatment through monthly intravenous infusion and daily tablets, Emma felt it was time to get back to in-person classes.
She has started teaching at Dudhope Multicultural Centre on Tuesday evenings from 6pm until 7pm.
And she reveals she has already had a fantastic response.
She says: “Because I’ve just started them, I wasn’t expecting anyone to be there!
“But in the first week there was about 20 of us of all ages – from 12 to people in their 60s – I was really happy with that.
“What was great to see was that a lot of people who came in looked a bit nervous as they’d never done it before and were perhaps a bit shy.
“But by the end everyone was really relaxed and the majority were comfortable enough to take part in a video I took. It shows what you can learn in an hour.”
And it’s made a difference to Emma too.
She adds: “It made me instantly happier. Now I have a time and a place to be at each week to dance.
“It’s made me feel more normal, more like me, than ever.”
Conversation