Erik Dieltjens on “Dance for the Blind and Visually Impaired”:
Erik Dieltjens, a dancer at Etage Tropical since July 2021, faces a unique challenge with his diagnosis of degenerative myopia and glaucoma, leaving him with only 10% vision. With a humorous twist from the Kempen region, he shares his experiences: "Yes, you really need to search a lot," he laughs, referring to the search for information on dance for blind and visually impaired people in Belgium. And that's exactly what it's all about!
Swivel:
In the dance world, a "swivel" refers to a graceful movement where the hips rotate while the feet remain in one place. This movement is often performed by placing one foot on the ball while the other stays on the heel, creating the illusion of rotating hips while the feet seemingly stay in place. Swivels are used in various dance styles such as jazz, salsa, and sometimes even in certain forms of belly dancing, where they add a flowing and rhythmic element to the dance steps.
Footnote: What we wrote about it in 2021
As an addition to the dance world, #DO (Danceorientation.eu) marks a pioneering effort to make dance more accessible for blind and visually impaired people, regardless of their level, anywhere. This site is the beginning, focused on the possibility of... All publications, reflections, and ideas are rooted in life itself, the dance practice, and supported by engaged individuals, scientific research, and publications. In general, little is known about “dance for blind and visually impaired people,” making this site an invitation for anyone with knowledge to share, talk about dancing and seeing, dancing and not seeing, or simply wanting to dance!
I would like to emphasize that my perspective comes from a "sighted" viewpoint, always as a dance teacher and expert. If there are any considerations from the perspective of blind or visually impaired individuals, I am more than willing to engage in an open debate with the goal of gathering as much information as possible for our shared objective.
Accessibility and the Issue at Dampoort, Ghent
On the Etage Tropical website, you’ll find a blog titled "TAXI," which highlights the larger issue during the construction work at Dampoort. Despite multiple attempts and emails, no solution was provided, not even by Inter. However, recently we’ve made positive strides by meeting with the accessibility officer for the city of Ghent, Bart Vermandere, and the sports department of Ghent. We see this meeting as an encouraging step toward solutions and more potential accessibility within the city of Ghent. We were warmly welcomed, which in itself is seen as a positive development.
To be continued, as always...
Video 1: Erik dances with Wendy (visually impaired) in Ostend during an exclusive lesson by Oogatelier Ostend. He, an experienced dancer, helps her learn the basic steps.
Video 2: Erik, Manuel, and Michèle stand in line in front of the mirror. Michèle is explaining a swivel, but there’s still work to be done. Within the framework of dance tools, Michèle wants to explain such a figure more simply using the magnetic board.
Video 3: A YouTube video about the execution of the swivel in the Rumba.