Kite Tales

Kite Tales|FALL 2016 | 3
Ballerina Wendy Whelan:
Dancing beyond scoliosis
Wendy Whelan began taking ballet
classes when she was 3 years old,
and like many little girls, she
dreamed of growing up to be a ballerina.
By age 12, Wendy was determined to make
those dreams a reality. But despite her
immense talent and overwhelming drive,
she had one challenge that could potentially
derail her — she was diagnosed with
scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a condition that causes the
spine to curve to the side, and in Wendy’s
case, her spine was shaped like an S. This
was not ideal for a sport that required
perfect posture and balance, but Wendy was
determined to overcome this challenge.
Wendy spent the summer of 1980 in and
out of Kosair Crippled Children Hospital.
She would spend one week a month at the
hospital in hopes of straightening out her
spine. She would spend all day in traction
and the night in neck and waist halters.
After her first visit, she was an inch and
a half taller, and she knew her treatment
was working. Her physician, Dr. Kenton
Leatherman, told her that the best sports
for those with scoliosis were swimming and
ballet, and Wendy knew her dreams were not
lost.
Keeping dreams alive
After spending a week at KCCH, Wendy
would go home for a month to resume
her normal life — with the addition of a
15-pound plaster cast she had to wear on her
back. Wendy’s Louisville Ballet instructor
encouraged her to come to class every day
and do everything she could even though
she was very limited. Her teacher knew that
she had worked hard to get to the level she
was at, and needed to keep her focus if she
wanted to keep her dreams afloat. So that’s
just what Wendy did.
Once Wendy’s final cast was removed, she
said she felt like a bird that had been freed
from its cage. She could jump and kick
higher and she felt more powerful than ever.
She could feel the change in her body from
her newly straightened back.
In 1981, Wendy auditioned and was
accepted into a summer ballet program in
New York. She was invited to stay through
the winter, and within a year and a half,
she was attending the School for American
Ballet on full scholarship and living in New
York City at age 15. She joined the New
York City Ballet just 2 years later and by the
age of 24, she was promoted to principal
dancer.
A proud Kosair Kid ®
Wendy performed with the NYCB for
30 years. Her final performance with the
company was in October 2014 and sold out
within minutes. Wendy has traveled around
the world thanks to dance, and has been a
guest artist with The Royal Ballet and with
the Kirov Ballet. Wendy says she still has a
lot of dance left in her, and is now working
in the world of contemporary dance.
Wendy’s current hip surgeon is amazed at
how balanced her hips are and how centered
her head is over her pelvis, and believes
that was what helped make her into
such an incredible dancer. Wendy
attributes her balance to the
doctors at Kosair. Wendy said, “I
tremendously valued my time at
Kosair Crippled Children
Hospital. It made me mentally,
emotionally, and physically
who I am now.” Wendy is
a proud Kosair Kid® and an
advocate for
those with
scoliosis.
Kosair Kid®
Wendy Whelan
Top/ “Wendy’s Louisville”
banner is located at the J.
Graham Brown School
(corner of 1st and
Muhammad Ali Blvd.)
Above/ X-ray of
Wendy’s back with
scoliosis.