A moment that changed me: I was heading for disaster on the Greek version of Strictly. Then instinct kicked in

I was gripped by fear, aching all over – and still recovering from cancer treatment. But Dancing With the Stars was a joyous celebration of survival

A moment that changed me: I was heading for disaster on the Greek version of Strictly. Then instinct kicked in

TL;DR

  • Victoria Hislop, a British author and minor celebrity in Greece, participated in the Greek version of 'Dancing With the Stars'.
  • She was recovering from cancer treatment, experiencing pain and aches, which were exacerbated by the demanding dance training.
  • Despite intense fear and forgetting most of her routine during rehearsals, Hislop had a 'transcendental moment' during her first live performance where muscle memory and instinct took over.
  • This instinctive performance was step-perfect and felt like magic, allowing her to celebrate her survival.
  • Although she technically improved as a dancer, she and her partner were eventually voted out of the competition.