Workshopdag Balfolk met Emily & Tim

Emily Vandewalle

Heart to feet

Emily’s journey into dance began in 2014 with a leap into the unknown—their first folk festival, Boombal in Ghent. What started as a spontaneous adventure quickly turned into a deep passion. Over the years, they immersed themselves in the world of social dance, gradually attending more and more bals, workshops, and classes. Their curiosity soon led them beyond folk dance, exploring styles like neo-tango, Swedish dances, couple blues, contact improvisation, and West Coast Swing.

Movement wasn’t always a natural part of Emily’s life. As a child, they were more drawn to music than sports. That changed in their teenage years when they discovered judo—a sport that became truly life-changing. Through judo, they found a new connection with their body, a sense of accomplishment, and a strong social community. This experience sparked a deep interest in anatomy, physiology, and human movement, eventually leading them to pursue studies in physiotherapy. They later specialized in mental health, earned a second degree in Adapted Physical Activity, and completed a teaching degree.

Emily’s love for movement and connection naturally evolved into teaching. They began as a judo instructor, working in both mainstream and adapted sports settings, before transitioning into the world of dance. Since their student years, they have also been passionate about facilitating workshops on topics like consent, bodily awareness, and intimacy.

Today, Emily combines their expertise in movement therapy and education to create tailored dance workshops that focus on connection and inclusivity. They have given workshops on a wide variety of topics upon request, both in Belgium and abroad, sharing their knowledge with diverse audiences. Since 2019, they have been teaching weekly dance classes at KU Leuven University, bringing their passion for dance and movement to a broad and diverse community.

Tim Croes

Heart to feet

Tim has always been deeply connected to music and community. Since their teenage years, they have played in several small bands, finding joy through sound. Their passion for learning and critical thinking has shaped much of their journey—both in and outside of dance. With an insatiable curiosity, they pursued a PhD in (bio)chemical engineering and are now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Antwerp, where their enthusiasm for teaching has earned them the Professor of the Year award, as voted by students. Alongside their academic career, Tim holds a teaching degree and has years of experience in education.

Dance didn’t come easily at first. Tim felt drawn to it but had to work hard to develop the skills they have today. Their first real introduction to social dance was at Gentse Feesten during their early student years. For a while, dance remained an occasional hobby—attending bals and workshops here and there. But in 2016, something clicked. What started as curiosity turned into a full-blown passion, and since then, most of their free time has been spent at classes, social dances, festivals, and workshops. Over time, their interests expanded beyond Balfolk to include salsa, swingrock, blues, and fusion dance.

Tim’s love for teaching naturally found its way into the dance world. In 2019, they began teaching weekly social dance classes at KU Leuven University, and as their passion for movement grew, so did their teaching. In addition to their regular classes, they offer a wide range of workshops—both on technical dance skills and the deeper, more intuitive aspects of connection—tailored to different groups and events. Today, they teach multiple levels of social dance, Balfolk, and Acroyoga at the university sports center, sharing their love for movement, learning, and connection with a diverse and welcoming community.