Carla Fromentin, wheelchair dancer: “Dance is a refuge where I feel more like myself”

She is an actress by training and has been dancing for more than eight years. Her two passions have led her to exploit her more sensual side, a facet she shows on social networks and in her work as a model for certain brands.

“And that’s how we should always feel. Never be ashamed of our bodies let alone let them walk all over us speaking with such a negative vibration. Carlita, 12, would be proud because now we are royals” writing Carla Fromentin (32) in a description of one of his photos of instagram (@carlifro ), in which he is seen posing in his underwear for a well-known brand.

Most of his photographs on this social network look alike: appears with a strong and powerful attitude; with flashy outfits and colorful makeup. Although she knows that what is posted on social media is not an accurate reflection of reality, in the offline world, this image that she projects seems very close. “Everyone with a public profile, with thousands of followers, yes or yes has a character behind it, but that’s how I show myself: good for leseo, sensual, in itself that’s all me says Carla, an actress by profession and a dancer in a wheelchair, who now works as a content creator and model for certain brands.

Carla started to gain confidence in acting and dancing, but as a child she was more shy. was born with hip dysplasia for which he had difficulty walking until the age of 11, after a hip replacement s, it became more difficult for him, so he has had to use a wheelchair ever since.

When she was studying acting at university, she theoretically took her movement classes, but she wondered why her reduced mobility had to necessarily be an obstacle to expressing herself through movement. This is how he came to the dance academy of Rodrigo Diaz in 2016, where she signed up for an inclusive Zumba workshop. “At that time it was the first academy that had the initiative to include people with disabilities, now inclusion is progressing much more. It was wonderful to be able to see so many people like me dancing. I was able to learn from them, who had been at it for a long time, and that’s when I started flipping the switch on the ‘you can’t’ talk. I realized that dancing has been a cure for many of people,” says Carla, who during the pandemic had the opportunity to be a wheelchair dance instructor in virtual classes she taught with a friend: “It was one of the best experiences I I had, very enriching. There was a good connection with the students and I was able to improve a lot as a dancer.

After having danced in different academies and participated in the respective galas that are held at the end of the year, he participated last year in the television show Red Talent, from TVN , something he never thought could happen to him. He assures that “it was an opportunity to start giving more visibility to people with disabilities, who are sometimes perceived as being unable to do anything. You have to raise your voice or be the face of all these people to show that with effort you can. When I was training for the program, I felt great respect and commitment. I brought two dancers who adapted to do the choreography on the chair. It was amazing. I never thought I would participate in something like this.

Do you think that speaking out has made you a reference for people in a situation similar to yours?

Since my entry into the world of dance, I have received messages with different testimonials. How good it is to motivate people, I feel like I’ve done that with a lot of girls by breaking the stereotype that a person in a wheelchair can’t do anything. When I was a girl, I wish I had a role model for an adult who showed me that I can do it. Nobody said to me “You can, try. Get out of your comfort zone.” In this country, there’s a lot of talk about inclusion, but sometimes we just do it to conform. Much of society continues to think of us as a piece. Many times, we put a shell or we develop a stronger character as a tool so that they do not take you.

How did you start giving this speech?

I started the cone in 2017 or 2018 by uploading dance videos. Acting made me bring out my personality and stop being that shy girl, it made me recognize my talent. With the theater I learned to find myself. I felt that many times I was not living what I really wanted to live. Dance was also a tool to find my identity. I learned that just because I’m in a wheelchair doesn’t mean I can’t be sensual, for example.

These passions led you to explore this more extroverted and determined side, then.

I feel like the art brought it out on its own, it’s not something I decided. I have no explanation. Maybe dancing led me to that side, because it’s a refuge where I feel more like myself perhaps. Year-end shows at academies and dance videos you record make you wear more makeup, wear different clothes. Sometimes the dances also bring out the most sensual side of a person, because the themes are like that. This is how I started to forge this Carli from social networks and now also from real life.

alter ego

Laughing, Carla says that when she dresses up with more production, her alter ego reveals itself, but she’s not a fictional character for the picture, but actually herself. “I love being complimented on my outfits, it’s the best thing they can say to me,” says Carla, who likes to dress up for any occasion. “I even get ready to go to the supermarket. I am keen on dressing eccentric and exotic, I like to see myself different from the rest because it attracts attention,” he adds.

Do you sometimes have to deal with awkward stares?

They even look at me on the street, especially when I go to an event or a party and go out with a short dress or heels. People have a look that says “Why does a person in a wheelchair dress so much?” We must not assume that we must walk with a long or sad face. I don’t judge people going through those times because I was also very depressed at times in my life and felt like I was in a hole, but people shouldn’t assume that from us.

How has your path to self-acceptance and self-love been?

I learned that you have to believe the story because no one else will for you. Being in a wheelchair has been a rollercoaster because you can be very positive, but there are also situations that make you angry, like stares, comments, teasing or when the lift is bad or the streets are full of holes. These are things that will clearly demotivate you. Besides having this wheelchair, I’m a plus-size woman and I’m speaking out for that too, to overturn all the stereotypes we’re given of perfect beauty that doesn’t exist.

Source: Latercera

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