“All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.” – T.E. Lawrence

Every child has dreams. Even at the youngest age we are prompted by our school teachers to answer that first, and very big, life question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

And when Dergin Tokmak answered, “I want to be a dancer,” well, it wasn’t quite met with the same level of unconditional support and enthusiasm.

You see, Dergin was not like all the other children. At just one year old, Dergin contracted polio—leaving him partially paralyzed from the waist down.

And, when this young boy chattered on excitedly about his dreams? There were those around him who stood, reminding him of his limitations.

And yet, today?

Dergin is a featured dancer with the critically acclaimed Cirque Du Soleil show “Varakai”—proof positive, that when we follow our hearts, anything is possible.

This is a story about a boy who challenged and defied his own physical limitations to pursue his dreams of becoming a dancer.

And this, is Dergin Tokmak.

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