Lizzy Howell is a plus size dancer who catapulted to fame after she shared a video of herself nailing multiple fouettès (a series of turns performed while whipping the leg around) during ballet class. Lizzy is proud to be a part of Instagram’s #CaptureConfidence campaign, which empowers people to share what makes them feel the most confident. “My sense of humor keeps me confident. I think it helps to realize that people who hide behind a screen and bully you would never say anything to your face. If you are being told you should quit doing something you love, don’t quit! It’s one person’s opinion, and honestly if they can’t see how happy it makes you, their opinion doesn’t matter. Only yours does.”
Lizzy is on a mission to educate people about what dancers are “supposed” to look like. She is now 16 years old and spends a whole lot of her time dancing. “Most dancers are skinny, and I’m not. I think a lot of people can relate to me because of that. I’ve been told to quit dance multiple times and I haven’t. Dance is something I’ve wanted to do forever. If I’m a good dancer, I don’t think my body type should affect my opportunities. You will have to work twice as hard for everything that everyone else gets, but it will be worth it in the long run to prove the “haters” wrong…Do what you love and don’t let any one stop you. It feels good to represent the diversity in dance. But there shouldn’t need to be a diversity. We should all be equal.” With a follower count of 136,000 on Instagram, Lizzy’s important message reaches a lot of people.
Visit Lizzy at: https://www.instagram.com/lizzy.dances/
