Jaime – Ballet, Yoga

• name: Jaime
• age: 29
• occupation: Acupuncturist, Dancer, Yoga Instructor
• sport: Ballet, Yoga
• currently live: Chicago, IL
• workout favorites: I love color! Anything bright or with a fun pattern is usually my first choice.

Jaime began dancing at the age of 14. By most standards this was a late start, but inspired and determined, she continued to pursue her goal of dancing professionally. Jaime quickly progressed and began spending summers studying at ballet schools in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Her dancing career only progressed as she went to the Chicago Academy for the Arts for high school, attended Indiana University (Bloomington) for a year as a ballet major and Northeastern Illinois University for a year as a dance minor. In between universities, she danced professionally in Seattle, Kansas City, Fort Worth, and Chicago.

These great accomplishments didn’t come without struggle for Jaime:
“In 1996 I was diagnosed with a form of cancer called Hodgkin’s disease. I was 16 and in high school. I continued dancing throughout the time that I was receiving both chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Dancing was something that kept me going and gave me an outlet for my emotions. The ballet studio was a place where I could go on my most difficult days or best of days, push myself to get stronger, and continue to do what I loved. My ballet teachers at that time, Anna Paskevska and Larry Long, were in a way like my coaches…they would push me to my limits yet be there with the most loving support when I had to sit back and watch. The thought of being a “real athlete” comes to mind when I think back to these memories. There are times to push the boundaries that you know, but there are also times to step back and remember to breathe. My cancer has now been in remission for 13 years. That experience has made me stronger both as a dancer, athlete, and human being. It has given me a unique and incredible respect for those with cancer that strive to accomplish the feats that may at times seem unattainable.”

This year, embracing her talent and good health, both Jaime and her husband will be training for the Nutcracker. Currently, she is maintaining her fitness through both ballet and yoga 3-4 times/week. To her being fit is just staying active…whether it is walking, stretching, or trying a new sport. “Anything that keeps you moving.” She is also focusing on her acupuncture career. “I was first exposed to acupuncture and Chinese medicine thirteen years ago when I was going through cancer treatments. There was a point where my blood counts had dropped dangerously low and treatments had to be put on hold. Acupuncture and herbal medicine were what helped me to get stronger and make it through the most difficult times. My hope as an acupuncturist is to now be there for those patients. Whether they are dealing with a cancer diagnosis, other medical conditions, or just striving to achieve better health, there is so much that Chinese medicine has to offer. “It is an exciting time to be in the field of Chinese acupuncture/herbal medicine with so many opportunities for growth in health care in this country.  My most recent goals are continuing to build my practice as well as help the patients I am seeing achieve their own health goals.” Her patients are also a huge inspiration for her to take the best care of herself that she can.