Onco Ballet uses dance to help meet the mental and physical needs of people in the cancer community

ORANGE COUNTY (KABC) -- More than 360,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, but when caught in its earliest stages, the five-year survival rate is 99%. Even with those positive numbers, a cancer diagnosis comes with many challenges.

Onco Ballet, a nonprofit organization in Orange County, is using ballet to meet the mental and physical needs of people in the cancer community.

"When I was going through my second diagnosis, I had gone back to the ballet bar and I saw how helpful ballet and dance movement was for me in my own personal expression. And I wondered, 'Could I share ballet, what I know so well, with everybody else?'" explains Anna Wassman-Cox, the founder and executive director of Onco Ballet.

Wassman-Cox has danced professionally, but started Onco Ballet as a simple, easy approach to dance. The classes teach true ballet movements, but it's fun no matter the skill level or ability.

Founded in November of 2023, classes are offered at select dance studios and hospitals in Orange County for free to anyone in the cancer community.

"Ballet and dance offer a chance for people to be creative and to express themselves, especially at a time when you're not sure what's going on with your body and you just kind of want to tap into where you are and express yourself as you are," says Estee Fratzke, the owner of Fringe Dance Studio and a breast cancer survivor.

Kerry Hedley, also a breast cancer survivor adds: "Here you can feel free to just do what you can do and everybody accepts that and you accept everybody else."

While the sense of community is paramount, ballet is much more than a mental boost. There are tangible physical benefits.

"When you go through cancer, you have a lot of physical disabilities afterwards and you think that maybe you'll never be able to do certain things again. And today was a testament that I can still be a ballerina," says Diana Mendoza, who has survived breast cancer and dances with Onco Ballet.

"Onco ballet in particular incorporates a lot of bilateral movement and bilateral movements have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and to offer a sense of calm," says Marie Miao, who is a clinical oncology social worker at Hoag Health Center.

Having the ballet classes at the Hoag Health Center has the added benefit of changing the perception of the building itself. From a place where someone was treated for cancer, to a place where they learned ballet.

Wassman-Cox remembers her time there well.

"When I was going through treatment, I was just around the corner from this room and it's nice to come here in a whole different way now where I know I'm bringing joy to the community, bringing joy to myself."

Aimee Murcia agrees: "This is something I looked forward to. It's a wonderful mental distraction and physically it does make you feel good as well and it was just a little bit of something normal."

At a time when physically and mentally it would be very easy to spiral into depression, Mendoza says Onco Ballet offers the ability to heal and bring people together.

"Any time you're in a room with breast cancer survivors, it's just amazing because you know that each one of you have gone through a similar journey and that we are here, and we are resilient and we're courageous."

If you would like to help Onco Ballet in their efforts to continue providing free dance across Orange County, you can find their page for donations here.