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Victory “Belgium Latin Competition 2023” for Manuel Delaere

16 December 2023

On December 16, Manuel Delaere was honored with a trophy for his outstanding performance in the discipline "Student Dances with Trainer" during the "Belgium Latin Competition 2023." In a thrilling final with five dance couples, four of whom were sighted pairs, he claimed the first place. Although the trainer was not judged, the jury showered both dance partners with praise. 

The dance community received this victory as a powerful statement. The international jury members from Spain, Mexico, France, and Belgium recognized the technical challenges of processing, remembering, and reproducing classical dance moves. Additionally, they commended our perseverance, dedication, and connection. 

The final consisted of four challenging tasks. Manuel captivated the audience each time, performing for one minute to random music selected by the organization. In the discipline "salsa," he advanced through three tasks to reach the fourth and final challenge: dancing a demo to a pre-known track. 

The jury was not only full of praise but also the salsa community was deeply impressed. A comment like, "Why is that guy wearing sunglasses?" received a meaningful answer: "Because he is blind!" This earned Manuel a great deal of admiration. After the victory, we relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on the social dance floor. 

This triumph fits within the framework of the "Visual Impairment and Inclusion" project of the King Baudouin Foundation, one of our goals being to promote the visibility and integration of the strengths of blind and visually impaired individuals. 

Image Description

video1: Manuel and Michèle step onto the dance floor. Michèle guides Manuel to the correct position, greets the jury members, and makes a sign of the cross with their hands, followed by a bow. The music starts, and Manuel begins his dance. For this task, Michèle selected a classic routine of salsa movements with recognizable steps, allowing the jury and audience to assess Manuel's technical dance knowledge.

More videos can be found on TikTok: @danceorientation (Manuel and Michèle).

photo 1: Manuel and Michèle pose together with dog Dajoor in front of the logo of the "Belgium Latin Competition 2023."

photo 2: A selfie where Manuel holds his trophy and Michèle beams with a big smile.

photo1: Michèle, Manuel, and Dajoor the dog posing photo2: the victory photo of Manuel and Michèle