Belly Dancer Breast Cancer Survey Results 12-05-1999

Although the majority of the respondents in this current survey did not regain their feeling of femininity after breast cancer, they attained emotional and spiritual balance, healing and joy through belly dancing. In the April Survey Results, 100% of the respondents had belly danced before breast cancer. However, a new trend is evident in the current results - 40% did not belly dance prior to cancer. They turned to belly dancing for healing, meditation, exercise and to find comfort with other belly dancers.

From personal experience and from your comments, it is apparent that inner healing eventually comes when you are able reach out to help others. [Read the respondents' personal comments.] 85% believe people react differently to them after they had breast cancer compared to 60% in the April survey results.

In addition to being professional Middle Eastern/belly dancers, 15% are in the art field, 25% are in careprovider fields (including mid-wives and nurses), 25% are in the field of business.

	Yes	No
Are you a belly dancer?	90%	10%
Have you had breast cancer?	90%	10%
Did you belly dance before cancer?	60%	40%
Did you belly dance after cancer?	95%	05%
Do you feel belly dancing restored your femininity after breast cancer?	30%	70%

	Yes	No
Do you wear a prosthesis?	35%	65%
Do you feel asexual?	55%	45%
Do you feel sensual?	55%	45%

	Yes	No
Did you have a mastectomy?	40%	60%
Do people react to you differently now?	85%	15%
Do you feel like a different person after having breast cancer?	15%	85%
Do you wear a prosthesis while belly dancing?	35%	65%
Do you feel belly dancing mimics nature?	65%	35%
Does belly dancing tell a story?	60%	40%
Can belly dancing tell a new story?	10%	90%
Do you have a dance to tell a story of your cancer/surgery?	10%	90%
Do you have a dance to express your feelings about your surgery?	10%	90%
What are people's reactions to you now? . . . "They want to see my surgery. I have an implant." "I have lost many friends. They seem to think that bad luck is contagious and that they might get breast cancer if they talk to me. They are so stupid. They can't be bothered. Well, who needs them? Times like these is when you clean out your list of real friends. The list really shortens."

Do you perform in public?	55%	45%
Are you an ethnic belly dancer?	50%	50%
Are you a cabaret belly dancer?	30%	70%
Is belly dancing your livelihood?	15%	85%
Are breasts important in belly dancing?	40%	60%

How has your life changed?	Improved	Worsened	No Change
Career	35%	15%	50%
Self-image	35%	15%	50%
Your spiritual conceptions	60%	05%	35%
Your reactions to life	60%	05%	35%
Relationships:
with Spouse/Significant Other	40%	20%	40%
with Parent	35%	10%	55%
with Children	30%	05%	65%
with Siblings	30%	15%	55%

	Yes	No
Do you discuss your cancer with anyone?	70%	30%
Do you express your feelings about cancer through your dancing?	70%	30%
Is your belly dancing therapeutic?	65%	35%
Is your belly dancing a religious experience?	25%	75%

"Belly dancing restores physical, emotional and spiritual health to the cancer survivor. It has great exercise value, gets those 'feel good' endomorphines stirring, enhances the results of the range of motion exercises. It helps you feel better about yourself. In most cases it brings you a special bond with other dancers whether they are cancer survivors or not. And it expresses your joy, gratefulness and celebration that you are alive!

"I use the arts (music, sound, drawing, movement, dance) to help heal the body, mind and spirit. I do the latter currently as a volunteer in an area hospital and I have done some work at the local Cancer Institute. My art fulfills my need for self-expression and to give thanks." - Cyl

"I am not a professional dancer. However, being Greek American, the belly dance or tsifteteli is in our culture. My beloved other half, a wonderful man, is a performer of bouzouki and other instruments. He is a Greek also but loves the anatolian sound and teaches many instruments. It is hard for us to go to clubs like we used to. I am still very weak and have a lot of healing ahead of me. If I don't have both breasts completely reconstructed, I don't see myself on the dance floor too soon. I agree totally that stress affects the immune system and that cancer is the direct result of stress." - Z

"I feel more feminine or at least the same as before. You can be sensual and feminine even with a mastectomy. I married a man 32 years ago who had been raised in a nudist family. I thoroughly enjoy the nudist lifestyle. I belly dance without a top anyway and only started belly dancing after my recovery 6 years ago. As there has never been a problem with my physical recovery or body image, belly dancing has helped me on my 'mental' road to recovery." - M

"Anything that makes you feel good is healing. I believe the closer you get to nature, the more centered you will get with God and the Universe. This will give you the edge on getting well and healed forever. You must learn from the experience and retain that knowledge to survive cancer free." - anonymous

"I've never belly danced but it has been a fantasy of mine for so long. It just looks so relaxing. I think we all have cancer cells somewhere in our body. What releases them, I have no clue. But I don't think it's stress . . . maybe lifestyle or something of that nature." - D.D.

Ages of respondents:
50+	30%
40-49	10%
30-39	30%
20-29	15%
18-19	10%
unstated	5%

Do you believe that everyone has cancer cells within?	65%	35%
Do you believe that stress causes cancer?	80%	20%
Has your life changed since having cancer?	70%	30%