Medhi Bahiri

My dancing started in France (in the south of to be exact) at the Centre de dance Rosella Hightower. I was a member of Maurice Bejart’s Twentieth Century Ballet, a Principal Dancer with Ballet West and Boston Ballet, and as a Principal freelance Guest Artist, I was privileged to have toured the United States, Europe and beyond.

I had a great and long career, until I began to have minor malaise on my left hip. This eventually turned into full blown discomfort to the point where I could barely put my socks on. Nine years ago, I was introduced to the best hip surgeon, Dr. Douglas Padgett. After an examination, he at first gave me an injection of Cortisone and I was normal again. I could walk and be in a studio rehearsing and moving around. Unfortunately, that only lasted a week. The decision of having total hip replacement was the last thing on my mind, but I had no choice; it was that or live with the pain for the rest of my life and possibly irritate my other hip with the constant limp. Well, I decided it was time to get it over with and go for it.

I scheduled a day for surgery and if I tell you that I wished that I had done it earlier I probably could have performed a few years longer. But more important than dancing, I can walk and run again. So now when someone asks about my experience my response is “I WISH I HAD DONE IT SOONER!”