Invitation to the Dance

Wounded not only physically but also psychologically by a mastectomy, or removal of a cancerous breast, women who have undergone the operation often withdraw into inactivity and self-pity. But a dozen Californians who have gone through mastectomies have a livelier outlook on life. Thanks to a program of dance therapy developed by Diana Welch, 41, an artist-in-residence at the University of Santa Clara, they have been able to take advantage of the graceful, flowing action of classical ballet to regain fuller use of arms whose movements had been limited by the scarring produced by their operations. In the process, they also regain their selfesteem.

The therapy program, now one year old, was developed by Dancer Welch after she learned that the mother of one of her students was having difficulty adjusting to her mastectomy. The program has won the endorsement of doctors, physical therapists and the American Cancer Society. But its strongest supporters are its direct beneficiaries. The women, all between the ages of 32 and 64, meet for an hour and a half each week in Welch's airy studio to practice plies and ronds de jambe, and to share their experiences.

"My arm seemed frozen and I felt ugly," recalls Mrs. Virginia Carmody, 50. At her first class, she says, "my arm hurt so badly that I yelled when someone touched it." The exercises, however, quickly overcame her problems. "After two weeks I had no pain," says Mrs. Carmody. After five months, she had mastered ballet's fifth position, in which the arms arch over the head. The accomplishment is impressive. Many would-be dancers who have not had mastectomies find the fifth position formidable.

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