Meet The Dancers: Alicia Ludden-Schlatter, Principle Dancer

Some background about me: I am a family medicine doctor in my second year of residency training.  There are many reasons I chose to become a physician, including my sheer amazement at learning about the human body.  Medical school is rigorous, but every step of the way I marveled at the glorious creation that is our living, breathing bodies.  Consider: the physics of how your diaphragm draws air into your lungs, electrical currents rhythmically flowing through your heart, or the fine motor and neural coordination it requires to walk, or write, or even shake someone’s hand . . .

I was in medical school when I discovered belly dance.  I had danced my entire childhood, and had had years of competitive training in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and other formats.  As much as I enjoyed school, I never felt more alive than when I danced.  In college and medical school, I thought my dancing days were behind me, and I missed it terribly.  When I discovered belly dance, and specifically Moon Belly, I was thrilled and inspired—this is a dance that utilizes muscle isolations in ways I’d never imagined were possible, that celebrates bodies of all shapes and sizes, and the dancers are women from all walks of life. 

These days, I am a busy family doctor.  Most of my time and energy are focused on noble goals – easing suffering, healing sickness, and reducing risk of future disease – but I am often frustratingly limited by logistics, finances, or time.  I sometimes forget why I fell in love with medicine in the first place, but when I dance, I remember.  I am grateful for ears to hear the music and a mind that sees the rhythm.  I delight in movement and thank God for strong bones and hearty muscles.  I can hardly fathom how my body is made of billions of cells that work together to make art.  When we use our bodies to tell a story, it is nothing short of magic.

---