David Christel:  

After graduating in 1971, I attended CSU. My first 4 semesters were spent majoring in voice and piano performance. Quitting that — I didn't have the discipline — I tried the Social Work Dept. and hated it. Then, during a rehearsal of "Hello, Dolly," the director suggested I try dance as a major. Dance?! What are you talking about?! Well, one thing led to the next and I moved to N.Y.C. to pursue a dance career. It lasted 14 years, I performed and taught all over the world, worked with a lot of the world's greatest dancers (including Nureyev and Baryshnikov), performed at the Kennedy Center twice, appeared with Leonard Bernstein at the Kennedy Center, and also appeared several times on PBS Great Performances/Dance in America. I also got the chance to work with the Bolshoi Opera, Metropolitan Opera and Stuttgart Ballet, as well as did a lot of guest artist work around the U.S. During a photo shoot for the N.Y. Times in 1981, I managed to twist my spine in 3 directions and the sacroiliac tilted severing a bunch of nerves. I lost the use of my right leg, right arm, back muscles, stomach muscles, and intestines. Literally, I was a mess. The doctors told me I'd be a paraplegic the rest of my life, stuck in a wheelchair and dependent on everyone to take care of my needs. Sorry, I had other plans. After doing Pilates for a year, I walked into the doctor's offices and shocked them all. I then danced for 4 1/2 more years — better and more intelligently than before the accident. Plus, during the period of my rehab, I learned a great deal that has been a saving grace for me about myself and what's truly important in life. Upon retiring in 1986, I was immediately hired by a computer-based training company and became an expert in the field. I worked ...Expand for more