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A nice recognition in Dag Allemaal

19 November 2023

Foreword 

A beautiful tribute in "Dag Allemaal" this week for Manuel Delaere and myself, highlighting our perseverance ❤️. Additionally, a magnificent article about his life journey and how he is gradually coping with vision loss. Since I started dancing with visually impaired people, there is still so much to learn. A big thank you to Manuel Delaere for tirelessly guiding me in this journey. What strength. #inclusion is togetherness #inclusion is learning from each other #inclusion is equality #inclusion is wealth #dance #love #life. Thanks to Dag Allemaal for this wonderful article and to the journalist who featured us. Her mother also suffers from retinitis pigmentosa. Thanks to the entire Etage Tropical team and fellow students for the values we want to convey.

Blind Manuel impresses during "The Greatest Dancer" auditions. Dancing through life despite severe disability. Manuel Delaere does it, literally. Perfectly synchronized with his partner Michèle Martens, he completed all his dances in "The Greatest Dancer of Flanders". "Our first major performance," he says proudly. All summer, the man from Ghent sacrificed his vacation to rehearse his routine at Michèle's inclusive dance school, where she, as a professional dancer, collaborated with Garry Hagger, Tom Dice, and Belle Perez. To audition, the duo had to go through a rigorous selection process. To Manuel's great satisfaction, he says, "I didn't want to be seen as a curiosity. My participation in 'The Greatest Dancer' made me feel like I was part of something."

Rehearsing a dance takes a lot of effort when you have a visual impairment, doesn't it? 

Manuel: Of course. Every step must be clear and precise. Michèle: Other students follow my steps in the mirror. With a partner who has a visual impairment, you have to guide them. There is more physical contact. Manuel: It helps me orient myself because that's the hardest part. Especially after a turn. Losing my sight has sharpened my sense of touch. Through contact with my dance partner, I can even feel the position of her feet. Some classmates say, "It's like you see more than someone who can see." (laughs) But in reality, you can't see at all anymore? Manuel: My central vision is gone. Peripherally, I still perceive shadows and some light, but not in motion, like during dancing. Unfortunately, my eyes are deteriorating more and more. Retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease where the iris slowly degrades, is incurable.

When did you find out you had the disease? 

Manuel: Around the age of 12, I started having vision problems. But given the serious impact of such a diagnosis, I waited until I was 16 to consult an ophthalmologist.

That kind of bad news must make your world collapse, right? 

Manuel: (nods) But my positive attitude was my strength. I wanted to make something of my life. And at home, I had the best example. My mother, already blind from the same disease, remained very independent. For years, she was president of Vebes, the association for the blind and visually impaired, and she still serves on the National Superior Council for Disabled Persons, which advises Belgian policy. And you've made a success of your life. You have a degree in civil engineering.

Manuel: During my studies, however, accommodations were limited. My vision was already poor. I couldn't write on the lines, and I had terrible headaches from studying, leaving me little time to review my courses before exams. Fortunately, I have a good memory. It helps me a lot in my full-time job as a software engineer.

That's not easy, is it? 

Manuel: With a vocal system that reads every screen, I manage. I want to stay active as long as possible, but I plan for hard times. I've also paid off my own apartment, I cook for myself and it's delicious, and I file my own tax returns. (laughs) It sounds great, 

but you must have difficult moments sometimes, right? 

Manuel: Yes. My freedom is very limited. To shop, I have to ask for help instead of quickly going to the supermarket. But the hardest part is the loss of social contact. When I was a student, I could rely on my classmates. Sometimes they laughed at my silliness, but with the best intentions. Everyone was ready to help, even just to show me the way to the restroom. With the student fanfare, I participated in all the parties. I was a showman with my flute. Everyone knew me and called me on the street. It was a great time.

It's different now, isn't it? 

Manuel: My only contact from that time is a classmate who also stayed in Ghent. And as a blind person, it's difficult to make friends. If you go to the café with your white cane, no one talks to you. If you go without a cane and bump into something, everyone thinks you're drunk. When I go out, I always try to be accompanied because alone, I don't even notice if someone wants to talk. Or if there's someone I know. I don't have a girlfriend anymore either. I would like to meet someone who shares my passion for dancing. But starting a conversation with a woman isn't so simple. I have to focus on her voice. Often, I can deduce her figure from it, but age is harder to estimate.

Michèle: Oh, Manuel has plenty of choices. He looks so good and has become an amazing dancer. A bit of a charmer too... (winks) Manuel: Even at dance evenings, women hesitate when they see me with my guide dog. "Oh dear, a blind man. Surely it won't be fun." Frustrating. Until they see how well I can dance. Then they all come to me. And they come back!

How did you catch the dance bug, Manuel? 

Manuel: At a dance evening during my youth vacation. Shortly after, I started dancing swing, rock'n'roll, and ballroom dancing. I danced for a long time with my girlfriend, but when that relationship ended, I discovered that facilities in a regular dance school were insufficient. That's how I ended up with Michèle, who occasionally taught disabled people.

Michèle: It's thanks to Manuel that I saw the light. Since then, we dance inclusively in my dance school. With or without disabilities, everyone takes classes together. A first in Flanders. And does it work? Michèle: Absolutely. Some students left because of it, and some blind people don't want to depend on sighted people. Too bad for them; inclusive dancing has so much added value. Because of the need for interaction, we learn a lot from each other. I have become a better teacher because you develop new techniques and tricks. You've really found your place here, Manuel.

Manuel: Yes, the atmosphere in this dance club is more intimate. Here, I've built a new social life and gained a bit of freedom. It fills a void in my life. These days, I dance four to five days a week.

Apparently, sometimes also to teach? 

Manuel: Yes, I give private lessons to beginners and groups of visually impaired people.

Michèle: Manuel even teaches me to dance the quickstep. Manuel: I don't have children. This is my way of sharing my passion. The opportunities I had, I want to offer to my peers. Often, they prefer to join associations for visually impaired people. But after teaching salsa classes during a mountain holiday with an association for blind people, some of them now come to our inclusive dance workshops.

And with 'The Greatest Dancer,' you want to convince them all? 

Manuel: I hope it encourages my peers to look into inclusive dance classes in their own neighborhood. Do you know what I sometimes dream of? Walking into a dance hall with my dog, asking a woman to dance, and dropping everyone's jaws with my talents. There was also something about that in 'The Greatest Dancer'.

Photo descriptions

Photo 1: Manuel wears a black tuxedo with a bright blue bow tie and a white shirt. The bow tie is the same color and material as Michèle's dress. Manuel wears glasses and has dark hair. Michèle has long blonde hair and wears loose curls in the photo. She wears coral lipstick and golden-yellow eyeshadow. Michèle places both hands on Manuel's right shoulder. They pose in front of a white wall with two dark red congas and a fake green plant to the right of Michèle.

Photo 2: Logo of "Dag Allemaal" in yellow letters with red borders.

Photo 3: Article from "Dag Allemaal" itself.
a. Manuel leans against an antique cabinet. He wears a tuxedo. Behind him is an antique mirror with a golden frame and a white eagle statuette.
b. The next photo shows Manuel dancing with a lady in the mountains. The lady wears a white t-shirt, Manuel a purple t-shirt with a logo. In the background, we see mountains.
c. Manuel sits as a young man in a large armchair. He wears a burgundy top and smiles. Next to him is a small cuddly white dog.
d. Manuel plays the flute during his studies. He wears a ribbon.
e. Manuel pets and poses with his guide dog, Dajoor.

Photo 1: Michèle and Manuel pose in formal attire Photo 2: Dag Allemaal logo