Lorenzo Hall: Dancing Helps Me Express Myself

Like so many others who experience mysterious symptoms, Lorenzo Hall felt relief when he was finally diagnosed with lupus after months of doctors’ appointments and tests.

“When I first was diagnosed, the only thing that terrified me was how it was going to affect the thing I’m most passionate about – my dancing,” he said.

Lorenzo is a dancer, choreographer, full time college student and teaches dance classes to children in his hometown of San Antonio, TX.

Discovering that lupus is much more prevalent among women was surprising and made Lorenzo question whether or not he should be open to friends about his disease. He soon found his answer.

“I saw the Lupus Foundation of America had a campaign for Lupus Awareness Month and I was just really inspired by that, not to hide it or be ashamed about it or feel like I’m disabled because of lupus,” said Lorenzo.

“Before I found out about the Foundation, I didn’t really tell anyone. When I found out it was a ‘women’s disease’ I wanted to keep it to myself,” he said. “But it’s important for men to share their stories.”

Lorenzo was inspired by Nick Cannon, who has been outspoken about his own diagnosis and is a strong supporter of the Lupus Foundation of America’s vision of a life free from lupus. He’s also an example of someone who has been able to follow his dreams and continue pursuing his passions while dealing with the daily struggles of chronic illness, something Lorenzo can relate to.

“Dancing helps me express myself. If I’m ever feeling depressed, when I go into the dance studio it’s a release,” he said. “I have a lot more good days than bad, but sometimes I wake up and just can’t get out of bed.”

His passion for dance never takes a day off, but those bad days force Lorenzo to take breaks even when he wants to push through the pain and keep moving. Through it all, he stays focused on what brings him joy.

This year, Lorenzo performed at the San Antonio Walk to End Lupus Now® event.

“I had people coming up to me, telling me that I inspired them,” he said. “But what inspired me was to see so many people come out to support and raise awareness of lupus.”