“Michèle Martens is Managing Director at dansclub Etage Tropical in Ghent. Together with one her dancers, blind-sighted Manuel, she participated with the TV-show ‘The Greatest Dancer’. Although the performances during preselections were unfortunately not broadcasted, they learned a lot and we interviewed her about the experience“
Category: Dance
A nice recognition in the magazine “Dag Allemaal”
A nice recognition in this weeks “Dag Allemaal” for Manuel Delaere and myself , putting our perseverance into the spotlight A wonderfull article about Manuels life journey and how it feels to slowly loose your capability of seeing. A big “Thank you” manuel, to show me they way relentlessly in discovering everything about teaching dance… Continue reading A nice recognition in the magazine “Dag Allemaal”
Danceorientation Festival Impressions
Georgia and the road to dance also for the blind by birth
Recently I’ve been a bit confused with the statement in the blind community about the difference between being blind at birth and becoming blind later in life and the vision of this in dance. It seems to me in the first place also logically that someone who ever saw has a certain memory about how… Continue reading Georgia and the road to dance also for the blind by birth
Bailando Bailando
A while ago, one of our members sent us an email that he was having salsa lessons tailormade for people with a visual disability. We wanted to know more about that so we contacted Michèle Martens, the driving force of the project and we met her in her dance studio Etage Tropical in Ghent.
Call to participate in an experiment
Are you visually impaired or blind? And do you want to help me make a difference in movement and dance for the future? Then come and help us on February 11th 2023. Individually or with two or with a group. I call on people with a visual impairment to test innovation with us. Dancer or… Continue reading Call to participate in an experiment
Closed eyes to turn off the visual distraction (part 1)
Kizombatreat Festival A dialogue between upper body and lower body connection in couple dance. Foreword: Between 3 and 5 June of this year (2022), the first kizombatreat festival took place at Etage Tropical in Ghent. Many times we refer to the importance of Etage Tropical within the kizomba community and how 15 years ago we… Continue reading Closed eyes to turn off the visual distraction (part 1)
Animation Oriental Dance during the breaks of Danceorientation festival
At Danceorientation I was assigned to provide an oriental dance performance during the breaks. There were oriental snacks and drinks. What is Oriental Dance? Though people say mostly belly dance, it isn’t entirely correct, because in this dance it is mainly the hips that are moved, but also the abdomen, shoulders, chest, head, and so… Continue reading Animation Oriental Dance during the breaks of Danceorientation festival
Salsa workshop for “Point of view light and love” in “Het Laatste Nieuws”
MICHELE PROVIDES SALSALES FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY SIGHTED “We dare to throw ourselves completely again” Ostend During her lessons, Michèle Martens – who has been running a dance school for twelve years – welcomes everyone, but she pays extra attention to people with a visual impairment. She developed a technique in which hearing and feeling are… Continue reading Salsa workshop for “Point of view light and love” in “Het Laatste Nieuws”
What about visual art for the blind through color associations? A comment from Piet Devos
Search for new aesthetic dance forms for the blind, visually impaired, and the sighted Dear Michele, Our conversation on 16 December was also very educational and inspiring for me! You raise interesting questions about the aesthetic experiences of blind people and to what extent these are comparable to the aesthetic pleasure of the sighted, especially… Continue reading What about visual art for the blind through color associations? A comment from Piet Devos