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Dancing Through Life

An Interview with Hadley Williamson – Sharing Her Passion for Dance and Her Resilient Journey


Meet Hadley Williamson, a rising senior at Vanderbilt University majoring in pre-med with aspirations of becoming a pediatric oncologist. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Hadley also spent ten years in Littleton, Colorado, where she developed a deep appreciation for the mountains. A lifelong dancer, she began ballet at age four and now serves as the artistic director of Vanderbilt Ballet Theatre.

At 14 years old, Hadley was diagnosed with a rare, slow-growing form of sarcoma in her leg which has made a major impact in her life. She says, “although my own experience with cancer set me on my current life path, I am continually inspired by the stories of the people I’ve met along the way who have or are currently battling cancer.”

Hadley discovered Gilda’s Club on a walk to a nearby hotel coffee shop and was inspired to share her love of dance. She now leads a Ballet & Gentle Stretching Workshop, which has become a meaningful part of her journey.

How has your own cancer experience influenced your life path as you’ve grown older?

I was incredibly blessed to have caught it by chance and early enough that I only had to have a couple surgeries to remove the tumor. I was even more blessed to have had the most amazing team of doctors who took care of me not only as a patient, but as a person. I remember telling my oncologist that I was interested in medicine, and she sat with me for an hour after my appointment asking me about my life and telling me all about medicine, her own path to becoming a doctor, and answering my many questions. Ever since, I have wanted to become an oncologist. During my time in college, I have had the opportunity to become involved as a counselor and coordinator for Vanderbilt’s chapter of Camp Kesem, a summer camp for children coping with a parent’s diagnosis of cancer, and have gotten to know the stories of some of the strongest, most resilient kids and their families. Being involved with Gilda’s Club and getting to know the wonderful members and volunteers has been one of my most treasured experiences.

How has facilitating the Ballet & Gentle Stretching Workshop at Gilda’s Club impacted you personally and or creatively?

Teaching ballet classes at Gilda’s has been such a joy and privilege and has certainly impacted me both creatively and personally! Some of the ladies who take my class have never danced before and I absolutely love getting to watch them have so much fun trying something new. Some of the ladies have prior experience or a connection to dance, so it’s really neat to see their passion for dance and movement in class. Most of all, I’ve loved getting to know the wonderful people who take my class…We have so much fun together and I always leave class so inspired. On a creative level, the ballet that I knew during much of my training was intense and physically demanding. While teaching at Gilda’s, I’ve really enjoyed finding ways to make ballet accessible and enjoyable for all skill levels and ranges of mobility. I always center my class on music and the movement comes afterwards!

Do you have a Gilda’s Club moment that sticks out to you as especially meaningful?

I’ll never forget meeting the sweetest little ballerina who came with her mother and grandmother to watch our Sleeping Beauty performance at Gilda’s Club. After the show, she told me how much she loved to dance, how excited she was for her upcoming recital, and that she hoped to dance in pointe shoes like mine one day. When I was in her shoes what feels like just a short time ago, I was lucky to have older dancers to look up to and mentor me. Getting to be that person for other little ballerinas is such a privilege. Having already overcome so much in her life, I hope she knows she can do anything she sets her heart and mind to!

You recently organized a beautiful ballet performance for our members, what inspired you to bring this vision to life?

Our recent performance of “The Sleeping Beauty” ballet at Gilda’s Club was so much fun and my dance company so enjoyed getting to perform and meet some of the members of Gilda’s Club! I am always so excited to find new ways to share dance with the community and make ballet more accessible. My ballet school growing up always did performances at hospitals and nursing homes, so I had been wanting to organize a performance at Gilda’s since I first started volunteering. Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorite ballets and such a magical story to tell!

In what ways do you see the arts- especially movement and dance- contributing to emotional and community healing?

Any chance to move your body and do what you love is healing! Ballet has always been my medicine and I’m thankful for the opportunity to share it with others. We all have stories to tell and pieces of ourselves to express and that is my favorite part of dance. Anyone, regardless of experience or training, can take part in that. Whether watching someone else express their story through dance, or expressing your own, dance and movement are such an important part of healing individually and as a community.

What would you say to someone interested in volunteering with Gilda’s Club?

Do it!! You don’t have to have any particularly special or unique talent to contribute something meaningful to this amazing community – just share what you are passionate about!

Thank you, Hadley, for sharing your story and passion for dance with us! You are an inspiration, and your love for both dance and the people around you shines through in everything you do.

Are you interested in sharing your passion and talents with others? Learn more about volunteering with Gilda’s Club at gildasclubmiddletn.org/volunteer  or contact Laura: lauraleach@gildasclubmidddletn.org