If you've scrolled through Twitter at any point in the last 24 hours, you may have seen 15-year-old Lizzy Howell's ballet Instagram video - and it's going viral for the best reason.
When she posted a video of herself practicing fouetté turns one month ago, Howell had no idea she'd end up being an inspiration to dancers everywhere. BuzzFeed reports that the video, which was filmed a year ago, is making its rounds on social media and being shared by people who are happy to see diversity in the dance world - which is notorious for its difficult-to-achieve body standards.
Despite many new fans are referring to her as a "plus size dancer," Howell rejects the term because she doesn't want it to set her apart from the rest of the dance community. "If I can do everything that anyone else can, why should I be in a separate category?” she told BuzzFeed.
Howell has been dancing since she was in preschool, and uses dance as a way to help her with the anxiety she experiences as a result of a condition called a pseudotumor cerebri, which is an excess of fluid around the brain.
While she only started her Instagram in order to keep friends and family up to date on her dancing, she's gained over 40,000 new followers because of the video, which is at 150,000 views and counting. In addition to her newfound social media fame, she is also now an ambassador for "Dancing for You," a campaign that raises awareness for dancers with disabilities.
Lizzy is an inspiration to all of us who have ever been told we aren't good enough because of something we can't change about ourselves. Keep killin' it, girl.
