A full circle moment takes center stage in the studio

Dancers are known to tell stories through the motions of their bodies, displaying a performance that is known to grab a viewer’s attention. For one Troy student, an unfortunate accident sparked a new story. One story in particular was in the works for this student after an unfortunate incident. 

Kelsie Williams, a senior dance major from Montgomery, Alabama, tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in August, right before school started. She hadsurgery shortly after, but rather than heading back to the stage where she belonged, she went on the road to recovery instead. 

“It was... life changing, especially for the career path that I chose,” Williams said. “It was very challenging to wrap my head around it at first. 

“In the moment, it was like ‘oh, I'll be back in no time,’ but I wasn't thinking about recovery. Now it just seemed like that flew by, but sometimes in the back of my head, I'm just having to remember that I went through that.” 

Williams, the seamstress in the costume shop for Troy’s Department of Theatre and Dance, had to learn how to walk again before dancing. While the recovery process was physically and emotionally difficult, she was able to take that emotional aspect and turn it into something that can be shared with others. 

Through her senior project, Williams intends to teach others about their consciousness versus their reality, since her reality drastically changed. 

“It was very hard for me to grasp, but I think now, I'm feeling a little bit better about it,” Williams said. “I still get in that mindset of ‘I can't do everything that I want to do,’ but I know that it could definitely be worse.  

“With the research that I've been doing for this senior project, the question that has been coming up is ‘are you making conscious decisions, or are you adapting to your reality?’ With my injury, I've realized that it’s both.”  

The dancer further explains she’s still coming to terms with her new reality. Being six months postoperative, Williams can’t dance the same way as she did before her injury, but she can make conscious decisions on what she can do.  

“I want to do so much, but I am still recovering at the end of the day,” Williams said. “Now, I want to educate others and be a dance therapist, because you never know what could go wrong and how you have to adapt.  

“Just being an advocate for mental health, but also injury prevention, especially for young children and for young Black girls who may not have the opportunity to be taught by teachers that look like them, so just giving them that experience and that information early on.” 

Looking ahead, Williams does see herself dancing again. However, in the meantime, she will use her story and recovery experience to help others understand how their everyday conscious decisions affect their reality. 

“I hope people understand that your reality is literally what you make it,” Williams said. “I know that's so cliche, but it is the truth.  

“Whatever you want to do, just go for it--  you can do it no matter what's happening, because it's yours. One thing that I learned during my recovery is that everything is a mindset thing.  

“You’re your biggest supporter and your own worst enemy.”

Williams’ senior project will be presented on April 13 at 7 p.m. in Long Hall, the same place where her ACL injury occurred. The same place where everything changed.  

“It’s like a weird, full circle moment,” Williams said. “I am such a full circle moment type of person, and this project is a full circle moment, so I just love that, because everything happens for a reason.”