“Hello, my name is Michèle.” My introduction for the visually impaired and blind is always the same. I teach salsa dance lessons to the visually impaired and blind. Over the past months, I’ve mainly given advice to sighted dance instructors, trainers, and those interested in my sport, but from the world of dance with blind people, it seemed like an innovative idea to flip the world upside down. Together with Manuel Delaere, who has retinitis pigmentosa and has been dancing with me for two years, we came up with the idea to write an article about “tips for inclusive dancing.” Instead of offering tips for sighted trainers and students, we’re doing it the other way around here.
Our goal is simple: we want to build a bridge between two worlds where we can connect on the dance floor, to have fun together in an inclusive environment, with the focus 100% on dancing.
It always starts with the first encounter. Usually, as you often do, you first call or send an email to the dance school of your choice. This informs the school about your visual impairment, allowing them to think about it, take it into account, and make adjustments where necessary. It’s also very important for you to make an initial connection; to see the quality standards and to assess how the school responds to your disability.
Always arrive a little earlier for the lesson. This gives the organization time to welcome you properly. The goal is for you to be able to participate in a regular dance lesson for sighted people. Organizing it this way allows for adjustments to be made to accommodate the different students. For example, a fixed spot in the room can be assigned.
Besides your presence, there are many other people attending who are there to enjoy their hobby. Everyone has their own life challenges and comes to relax. In an inclusive class, it is the trainer’s job to make sure everyone is included and, where possible, to give a lesson that is as homogeneous as possible to a group of diverse individuals. Not making exceptions might initially overwhelm you, but it will enable you to learn to dance at your own rhythm, within your own personality and independence, so you can grow as a dancer and enjoy your hobby.
Often, people aren’t aware of the difficulty, courage, and daring it takes to pursue your hobby in a sighted world. So, give them some credit when they don’t specify certain things. A fellow student, for example, might not automatically share information about their name, age, or physical attributes. Blind and visually impaired people sometimes still assume that these things are obvious.
That’s why it’s important for you to take in the sighted dancers in a calm manner. You can best do this through the usual “hearing” and “touch.” Ask people for their details, but also show interest in their world and take part in the social experience. For the “touch” part, I recommend not reaching out blindly – haha, you never know where you’ll end up. For example, ask to place your hands on your sighted dance partner’s shoulders. This will give you an idea of your role as a leader or follower and where to position yourself on the dance floor. For “touch,” the same rules apply as for sighted people: approach others respectfully from your own perspective.
Inquire about the usual protocols for the sport. Every social environment has unwritten rules about the discipline and the athletes. Asking about them will make it easier for you to integrate and feel like you belong.
Assume that you have just as many strengths as anyone else. Not seeing has its advantages. You’re less concerned with the beginner mistakes you make on the dance floor. Since you don’t know the reactions around you, it’s quite liberating. You won’t be distracted by other people's dance moves or their looks. You can focus on your own progress. This will help build your confidence as a dancer!
Unlike the world of the blind and visually impaired, where the auditory aspect is important, the sighted world is still mainly focused on visual stimuli. Seeing as a first contact sensation, a perception, remains the most important means of communication in society for everyone except the blind or visually impaired. As a blind or visually impaired person, you must always take this into account if you want to stay familiar with the world around you. Moreover, in the dance world, you are expected to give extra attention to appearance. Many dancers care about how they look, especially with shows, competitions, and performances. It’s literally “seeing and being seen.” If you don’t care about that, it becomes difficult to think about integration and inclusion from a fully integrated standpoint. The goal of learning to dance has nothing to do with outward appearances, but here, the end justifies the means, not the other way around. Keeping this in mind without compromising your personality and taste can help you take a big step forward in continuing to explore the world with curiosity.
Partner dancing is about the connection with another person. It’s no longer an “I” thing but a “we” thing, and in these circumstances, everyone is doing their best. Here are some advantages of how healthy and fun dancing can be:
You quickly meet new people, expanding your social network and making new friends. This is great for mental health.
Dancing is a sport that promotes healthy movement, body control, and proper posture. This improves your overall appearance.
Partner dancing gives you a point of reference. Whether you are the leader or follower, you can orient yourself toward your dance partner.
Partner work is helpful during and after the dance lesson, where your dance partner can guide you safely around the dance floor or in the entire studio.
Music is an important part of dance. Interpreting music in a dance-related way will allow you to experience music more intensely and enjoy it more.
As a visually impaired person, you can’t dance better or worse because of your disability. Learning to dance is the same for everyone.
King Louis XIV did a lot for the arts, especially for the dance discipline. He introduced social dancing for everyone and founded the “Royal Dance Academy.” This noble act welcomed all people, but at the time, there was no consideration for those with visual impairments. Now, in the 21st century, we are finally past that stage. Since then, society has become more aware of the different worlds within one world, and more attention is being paid to each other and the different individuals. For the blind and visually impaired, my greatest example remains a 24-year-old girl from Lyon. She danced in an elegant and sensual way with her sighted dance teacher in a bachata show. To this day, I’ve never seen a better or more beautiful symbiosis between these two different people and worlds. Dancing is all about personal interest, not about disability. That’s why we wanted to share Manuel’s perspective with you:
A long time ago, I followed ballroom dancing. Lacking a fixed dance partner and a dance school where enough verbal explanations about the steps were given, I remained hungry for dancing for a long time. About two years ago, I got the tip to try salsa at Etage Tropical. I was immediately warmly welcomed and could express myself as a fellow student, feeling like I was part of the group. Through a rotation system (temporarily suspended due to Corona), dance partners are regularly switched. This way, you quickly meet new people and it becomes possible for everyone to quickly master the dance steps.
Michèle really does her best to make me a good dancer. The higher the dance level, the more thoughtful and inventive she has to be in teaching the visually impaired and blind. A task she takes very seriously.
We hope to have opened the discussion about inclusive dancing and invite everyone to join our dance story.
Would you like to come dance? Are you already a dancer? Do you love music? Would you like to meet new people? Do you want to experience the joy of salsa dancing? We welcome you with open arms in Brussels, Ghent, and Ostend.
Below you can find our contact details:
Website: www.etagetropical.be
Email: info@etagetropical.be
Phone: Michèle Martens +32 473 80 97 18
Etage Tropical Productions – Ghent
Video 1: Michèle dances the “Prima con Hermana” figure from salsa with Larissa.
Video 2: Manuel dances bachata with Nadine Pollet, along with a sighted couple.
Video 3: Manuel dances with a sighted lady, and Michèle dances with the partner in a “Son” workshop.