Celine Dion is preparing for a return to the stage with a 20-date residency in Paris, following a debilitating battle with stiff person syndrome.
The 58-year-old singer, who has performed only once in the past six years, told Harper's Bazaar that she is undertaking a rigorous workout schedule. She described the period of preparing to return as falling and getting back up over and over again. Her routine includes 90-minute Pilates sessions three times a week and twice-weekly ballet classes with a local company.
Dion stretched at a ballet barre during the interview at a recording studio in the Palms Casino Resort. The room was equipped with weights, a treadmill and a reformer machine.
Stiff person syndrome diagnosis
Dion was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome in 2022 after experiencing a flare-up at the start of the pandemic in 2020. The rare neurological disorder causes painful spasms and muscle stiffness that can worsen over time.
The condition has affected her signature vocals. "It is a progressive condition. I don't like to say 'disease.' Disease makes you go like this," she said, scrunching her nose. "'Kevin, you're such a disease.'"
The "My Heart Will Go On" singer said she isolated herself from fans for three years. She feared they would assume she was living a full life while continuing to cancel tour dates.
During her isolation, she viewed barren autumn trees as a metaphor for her struggles. "I love trees so much, and I had this vision of myself trying to disappear through the leaves," she said.
"I was trying to tell them, I'm sorry, I don't have any apples to give you anymore," she recalled. She said a voice then told her: "But we did not come for the apples; we came for the tree."
Paris residency and returning to work
Dion will play 10 nights at the 40,000-capacity Paris La Défense Arena in September and October. She has added 10 more shows in May due to overwhelming demand.
The singer said she wants to show her fans how much she has missed them. "They paid for tickets," she told the magazine. "They bought my records. They gave me that luxury. So the least I can do is tell them that I'm alive."
She said she is ready to return to the demands of being a star. "Well, girl," Dion said, addressing herself but speaking to the reporter. "If you don't want to sign autographs and you don't want to get yourself pretty and you don't want to be disturbed because your pasta is going to get cold, you can always stay home. But look at what you have."
Dion announced the residency in a video on her birthday in March, calling the comeback "the best gift of my life".
"I'm so ready to do this," she said in the video. "I'm feeling good, I'm strong, I'm feeling excited, obviously, [and] of course, a little nervous. I'm doing great, managing my health, feeling good. I'm singing again, even doing a little bit of dancing."
She added: "But I have to tell you something very important: Over these last few years, every day that's gone by, I felt your prayers and support, your kindness and love. I am grateful to all of you. I can't wait to see you again."
Health updates and past performances
When Dion first revealed she was suffering from stiff person syndrome in 2022, she cancelled her remaining tour dates. In a video uploaded to her Instagram page at the time, the mother of three emotionally explained how the condition affected her.
"Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life. Sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to," she said.
"I'm working hard with my sports medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again, but I have to admit it's been a struggle," she continued. "All I know is singing. It's what I've done all my life, and it's what I love to do the most."
Last year in May, Dion shared a moving message during the Eurovision semi-finals and gave a health update in an interview with Vogue. She expressed that her "happiness has come back".
"It has been a big burden on my shoulders, and a lot of that weight's gone...because now I can just focus on reality. That's wonderful," she told the publication.
During an appearance on the Today show also last year, the performer said she would not let the disorder "control my life".
"I believe in myself, in my bravery," she stated. "I'm going to come onstage because I'm ready. And my vocal cords will not scare me because I'm going to be ready, and I'm going to hit those notes."
Her only performance in the past six years was at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony, where she belted out Edith Piaf's "L'Hymne à L'Amour". She also chronicled her condition in the 2024 documentary "I Am: Celine Dion".
