When Movement Became Possibility: Angi Solymosi’s Journey Through DanceSport

For Angi Solymosi (GER), DanceSport was never simply a choice of sport or a childhood hobby. It became, over time, something far more profound: a space where movement, discipline, and resilience could coexist with a body that has faced continuous medical challenges since early childhood.

Her story begins not on the dance floor, but in hospital corridors and medical consultations that shaped her earliest years. At the age of two, Angi suddenly stopped walking and developed severe joint swelling. After a long process of examinations and uncertainty, she was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic polyarthritis, a chronic inflammatory condition affecting multiple joints and, later, her eyes.

As a child, sport was not part of her life. Medical advice at the time was cautious, and physical activity was strongly restricted. Yet everything began to shift when she was thirteen.

When Movement Became Possibility: Angi Solymosi’s Journey Through DanceSport

A First Step into Movement

It was during her school years that DanceSport first entered Angi’s life. Her classmates were joining a dance school, and despite initial restrictions, she felt an instinctive desire to follow them. Her parents agreed, on one condition: she would continue only if it did not negatively affect her health.

What followed, however, changed the trajectory of her life.

Rather than worsening her condition, dance brought unexpected improvement. The continuous movement helped her joints, and for the first time, physical activity became not a risk, but a form of support.

From that moment, she did not stop.

When Movement Became Possibility: Angi Solymosi’s Journey Through DanceSport

DanceSport as a Constant Companion

Throughout her youth and early adulthood, DanceSport became a stable presence in Angi’s life. What began as curiosity evolved into identity.

“Dancesport has always been a big part of my life. Dancing always felt like a good friend,” she reflects. “Of course, as an athlete, you struggle sometimes… but it has been a constant thing in my life, which feels very comforting.”

Her journey moved through different stages of the discipline: from dance school beginnings, to Latin formation teams, to Latin couples and eventually Standard. Alongside personal milestones such as studying, graduating and beginning professional life, DanceSport remained a continuous thread.

A decisive turning point came in 2013, when she met her future dance partner, and now husband, during competition, Tobias Solymosi. What began as rivalry on the floor evolved into partnership in both sport and life.

“He is the greatest gift for me,” she says. “He always looks after me, has brought me to hospitals so many times, visited me, and never complains. He is just everything a girl could wish for.”

Together, they progressed rapidly through national and international competitions, eventually reaching the German national team and earning multiple titles, including their gold spot on the Open Standard Senior I in London last September and in the Open Standard Senior I in Kaunas, Lithuania, last year, among many other highlights in major events across Europe.

When Movement Became Possibility: Angi Solymosi’s Journey Through DanceSport

When Everything Changed

For many years, Angi managed her condition alongside her sporting career. While inflammation in her joints fluctuated, it remained relatively controlled, and DanceSport continued without major interruption.

However, at the age of 27, everything shifted dramatically.

She began experiencing blurred vision, severe headaches, and intense sensitivity to light. At night and in the early morning, her vision would deteriorate significantly. She suspected elevated eye pressure, a known risk within her chronic condition.

When she sought medical advice, her concerns were dismissed. She was told she was too young for such symptoms and advised not to worry.

Only days later, during the New Year period, her condition worsened significantly. She was taken to hospital, where doctors discovered extremely high intraocular pressure in her left eye, reaching a level of 62, far above the normal range of 12 to 21.

The diagnosis confirmed a severe inflammatory flare that had gone unnoticed, triggering the onset of glaucoma.

From that point, Angi’s life, and her dance, changed again.

She underwent intensive medical treatment, including intravenous medication and long-term eye drops, followed by multiple surgical procedures. Small stents were eventually implanted to regulate eye pressure.

Despite stabilisation, the damage to her vision had already occurred. She now lives with a reduced visual field in one eye and a loss of peripheral vision on one side, which directly affects her spatial awareness in dance.

Simple movements, such as lowering her head or reacting quickly to changes in direction, require constant consideration. Even everyday situations, such as walking in low light, demand adaptation and awareness.

Yet she continues.

When Movement Became Possibility: Angi Solymosi’s Journey Through DanceSport

Adapting to DanceSport at the Highest Level

Angi’s approach to training and competition is defined not by limitation, but by adaptation.

Certain movements and activities are no longer possible, particularly those that involve extreme pressure changes in the head or specific inverted positions. After surgical procedures, she must temporarily avoid fast rotations, jumps, and intensive movements until pressure stabilises.

Even within DanceSport itself, adjustments are part of her routine. Particular care is taken during choreography, partner work, and physical contact on the floor.

“I just have to be extra careful,” she explains. “But normal DanceSport is not affected.”

Her support system plays a crucial role in making this possible. Coaches adapt training sessions when necessary, sometimes working only with her partner while she observes. Medical specialists carefully plan procedures around competition schedules, ensuring continuity whenever possible.

Her husband remains a constant presence throughout both training and competition, assisting with orientation in low light and providing practical support in daily life.

“My husband always wants to make sure I am okay,” she says.

A Life Built on Support

Angi’s journey is not one she walks alone.

Her parents supported her through years of medical appointments, from rheumatology visits every six weeks to regular ophthalmology check-ups during childhood. Her coaches have consistently adapted training schedules and never imposed pressure when health required rest.

Her medical team, including both a family ophthalmologist and a glaucoma specialist who is also an athlete, plays an essential role in maintaining stability. Treatments and procedures are often coordinated around her competition calendar, ensuring she can continue performing at a high level.

This network of care has allowed her not only to continue dancing, but to thrive within it.

Competing at International Level

Despite ongoing medical challenges, Angi remains an active and highly successful competitor in both Adult and Senior 1 categories.

She and her partner have achieved multiple titles. Even when health complications have temporarily interrupted competition schedules, she has consistently returned to the floor.

When asked what she would like to share with other dancers facing challenges, Angi’s message is direct and deeply personal:

“Surround yourself with people who love you and want only the best for you. You deserve it. And dancing will always be there for you. If there are times that are hard, trust your body. It will tell you what is possible. Never give up on your dreams and always trust in yourself.”

A Different Way of Seeing DanceSport

Angi Solymosi’s story is not defined by her condition, but by her continuity.

It is a journey shaped by adaptation rather than limitation, by partnership rather than isolation, and by a quiet determination to remain on the dance floor regardless of circumstance.

In DanceSport, where precision, control, and physical awareness are essential, her career stands as a reminder that excellence is not defined by the absence of difficulty, but by the ability to move with it.

When Movement Became Possibility: Angi Solymosi’s Journey Through DanceSport