Risa Terasawa is a Japanese former professional ballet dancer who trained in Canada before joining Ballett Dortmund in Germany. After retiring from ballet, she transitioned into medicine and is now in her final year of medical school at the Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary. Her experience as a dancer has given her a unique perspective on health, inspiring her interest in supporting the well-being of women and athletes. She looks forward to exploring how she can best contribute as a physician.
Risa Terasawa: The first time I thought about this was when I got injured during my career in Dortmund. I had a tear in my ankle ligament and went to get treatment at a medical centre in Gelsenkirchen. It’s a rehab centre with a dance medicine specialist and a whole team of physiotherapists, Pilates instructors, and massage therapists. They usually specialise in treating football players, but they also work with dancers.
There, I met Dr. Elisabeth Exner-Grave who is really famous in this field. I thought it was a really interesting thing to pursue. Also, my father and brother are doctors, so medicine was the only other career I knew besides dancing. Currently, I’m studying general medicine, and once I graduate, I’ll choose a residency to specialise further.
Medical school involves the same perseverance mentality as dance or athletics.
Risa: Injury was definitely a main factor. The injury caused extra bone growth in my ankle, which was not only painful but disturbed the nice line of my feet. I was constantly in pain, which sucked the joy out of dancing. Also, when I entered the professional world, I had high expectations and aspirations of what I wanted to be, especially coming from a smaller talent pool at a ballet school. I realised that those expectations were less realistic in the real world, and that there are so many factors like being gifted, liked by choreographers and directors, timing, and opportunity, that all have to come together for a dancer’s success. I also think the company wasn’t the right place for me. I worked hard, but those factors didn’t align for me and my work was not really rewarded. So along the way, I lost my passion.
Risa: I always wanted to be a dancer, but I also wanted to go to university. I never thought I would do medicine because it seemed impossible, but somehow I’m here, which is exciting.
Risa: Discipline is definitely something that has been important. In medicine, if you are academically gifted, it’s obviously much easier, but in the end, those who survive are those who are able to sit down and study for hours without giving up in order to achieve their goals. Medical school involves the same perseverance mentality as dance or athletics.
In terms of studying, I feel like being a visual learner helps, as I can visualise things better than others. Memory is also crucial, and as a dancer, you’re trained to learn visually and to develop a strong memory.
Risa: It was definitely tough. My friends and classmates either came straight out of high school or already had a bachelor’s or master’s degree in other fields, so they knew how to study effectively. I had no idea where to start, which was very difficult. I took a pre-med course to try to adjust, but in reality it didn’t help as much as I would have liked. But my motto is that hard work pays off. So especially at the start of my studies, I woke up early (around 4:30) and studied a lot, and that’s how I survived.
Risa: Not really. The only thing I did was take some extra high school credits in scientific courses to broaden my knowledge. I quit dancing, moved to Berlin for a short time, and then enrolled in a pre-med course. At that time, I was still uncertain whether medicine was the right path for me, but I knew I had to start somewhere to truly understand if it was the right fit. That’s why I decided to try universities that accept students through entrance exams so I could start as soon as possible. Where I study, at Semmelweis University in Budapest, graduates receive a European diploma or licence, which is recognised in countries like Germany and Japan after passing the necessary language or national licence exams.
Being open-minded to other opportunities is important, as is finding joy in things other than dance.
Risa: Fortunately, my parents have been able to support me financially, and I wouldn’t have been able to pursue another passion without their help.
Risa: This is a really hard question. For me, I had to stop dancing due to injury, but if you have more time to think, I would say you don’t immediately have to know exactly what you want to do. It’s hard to find a different identity than being a dancer because from a young age, dancing has been our passion. If you have an interest in a particular field, there are so many online courses nowadays that can help you start exploring it.
Being open-minded to other opportunities is important, as is finding joy in things other than dance. As a dancer, I really based my life around dancing and didn’t really have another life. That meant it was then quite hard for me to transition out of the industry. It’s also important to have hobbies and manage a good work-life balance, which is what living in Europe has taught me, and partly why I want to stay in Europe.
Risa: Again, it’s important to be open-minded and not just focus on dancing. Until you explore other things, you don’t know what’s possible. For anyone considering medicine, it’s crucial to envision your life over the next 10 years and determine if this is something you genuinely want to pursue. It’s a significant commitment, requiring years of dedicated study and strong support from your family and partner. Especially when transitioning from one career to another—like ending a dance career—you really need to love it to keep going. Dance was challenging enough, and you have to ask yourself if you’re ready for another demanding career that requires complete dedication. Take those things into account when researching future possibilities. Personally, I knew I wanted to stay in Europe, and this has turned out to be the best path for me.
Top image by Kristóf Kovács
