'I don't just want to wait': Celine Dion talks return to stage with Vogue France

The Quebec pop superstar appears in the May edition of Vogue France, offering fresh insight into how she's managing a rare neurological disorder that unexpectedly sidelined her music career.

She says while she's listening to her body, her willpower is pushing her to work "very hard" at being able to perform live again one day.

Dion went public in December 2022 with her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, a progressive illness that can cause muscle rigidity and painful spasms.

All of her concert tour dates were cancelled in the months that followed.

Dion told Vogue France that in the early days of her diagnosis, she would ask: "Why me?" and "Is this my fault?" but lately she's turned to a more focused approach that involves an intense, five-day regimen of athletic, physical and vocal therapy.

"I don't just want to wait," she told the magazine. "It's morally hard to live from day to day. It's hard, I'm working very hard and tomorrow will be even harder. 

She added: "The way I see it, I have two choices. Either I train like an athlete and work super hard, or I switch off and it’s over, I stay at home, listen to my songs, stand in front of my mirror and sing to myself. I've chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be."

"I Am: Celine Dion," a documentary that follows Dion's recent health struggles, will debut on Prime Video on June 25. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2023.