Movement exploration workshop

Men and women standing in the room with their arms stretched out. — The workshop participants mime the movements of the dancer who will be on stage during the show they will see later. Céline Stegmüller / SWI swissinfo.ch

A group of people standing with their hands outstretched, as if resting on a pane of glass — To help blind and partially-sighted spectators understand the description of these scenes, the participants are asked to try and mimic the presence of a wall in front of their hands. Céline Stegmüller / SWI swissinfo.ch

A group of people standing and miming ballet dancers. — By putting themselves in the positions that the actress will later use on stage, visually impaired participants can get an idea of the gestures that will be described to them through the headphones. Céline Stegmüller / SWI swissinfo.ch

The lower body of the workshop participants, standing in front of their chairs — "You have to imagine that the heel of one foot touches the tip of the other foot, not the toe, but just in front of us, at the root of the big toe. That's the third position in ballet." Céline Stegmüller / SWI swissinfo.ch

A group of men and women standing with their arms outstretched parallel to each other — Sighted people help visually impaired people to adjust their posture when the result of following the instructions they hear differs from the instructor's pose. Céline Stegmüller / SWI swissinfo.ch

A group of people standing with both hands under their chins around their faces. — Actress Samantha van Wissen, who will be alone on stage, will play all the characters in the play. To distinguish them, she assigns each one a gesture: the hands encircling the face introduces the character Bathilde, who wears a large ornate necklace. Céline Stegmüller / SWI swissinfo.ch

A folded white cane rests on a bag on the floor, in the background there s people standing — Some blind or partially-sighted people came accompanied by relatives or volunteers from the Ecoute Voir (Listen See) association. Céline Stegmüller / SWI swissinfo.ch

This content was published on February 9, 2024 - 15:13

I am an experienced video journalist passionate about making complex topics accessible and engaging through compelling multimedia storytelling. Focused on social and environmental issues, I produce various video formats on a wide range of topics, specialising in impactful explainer videos with motion graphics and stop-motion animation. During my studies in cinema, English literature and journalism, I’ve gained experience in radio, television, and print across Switzerland. After working with the Locarno Film Festival’s image & sound team, I joined SWI swissinfo.ch in 2018 to produce local and international reportages.

During dance performances, the association Ecoute Voir (Listen See) offers workshops for visually impaired spectators. Over the course of an hour, participants are introduced to some of the key movements in the show they will be attending, and practise them so that they can feel them in their bodies. The workshop concludes with a visit to the set, to get a feel for the stage space, discover the objects on stage, and sometimes even familiarise themselves with the voices of the actors and actresses who will be performing in the play.

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.