Talking Germany - Dergin Tokmak, Dancer and Acrobat
Listen now
Description
Dergin Tokmak caught polio as a very young boy. The disease could not slow him down forever, though. His crutches are an integral part of his acrobatic performances. Joining the Cirque du Soleil propelled him to global stardom. As he says himself: "I may not be able to walk, but I have at least learned to fly a bit". Dergin Tokmak hopes to inspire people and to show them that anyone can be creative - regardless of their physical limitations. Dergin was just 8 months old when his parents took him back to visit their home village in Turkey. While he was there he contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. He spent most of his childhood and youth going to clinics, physiotherapy and schools for the disabled. When he was 12, his life changed after seeing a dancer on crutches in a breakdance film. He began to hang out with the hip-hop crowd in his home town of Augsburg and began to train for his first dance roles. His 6-year stint as the Lame Angel in Cirque du Soleil's show "Varekai" remains a unique achievement.
More Episodes
Claus Hipp is a familiar face in Germany, not least because he personally appears in the commercials for his baby food company. On Talking Germany he'll be talking about jars of cereal, organic farming and good manners. Claus Hipp took over the company founded by his father Georg in 1932 at a...
Published 06/15/15
Claus Hipp is a familiar face in Germany, not least because he personally appears in the commercials for his baby food company. On Talking Germany he'll be talking about jars of cereal, organic farming and good manners. Claus Hipp took over the company founded by his father Georg in 1932 at a...
Published 06/15/15
Alexandra Kalle discovered her olfactory talent in her late twenties and gave up her career as a marketing expert. Today she works for a fragrance company that makes the world famous brand 4711 Original Eau de Cologne. On Talking Germany, Alexandra Kalle speaks about her sensory relationship to...
Published 06/08/15