Wheelchair DanceSport
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wheelchair DanceSport is a partner dance competition and Dancesport where at least one of dancers is in a wheelchair.
Wheelchair dancers participate in combi-style dancing with an able-bodied partner or duo dance with two wheelchairs. Standard dances include the waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot and quickstep. Latin-American dances include the samba, cha-cha-cha, rumba, paso doble and jive. In 1977, the first international competition in Wheelchair Dance Sport is governed by the International Paralympic Wheelchair Dance Sport Committee (IPWDSC) following the modified rules of the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF) and is widely practiced by athletes in many countries.
Wheelchair dancing is a popular social and recreational activity, with more than 5,000 dancers in over 40 countries. The physical benefits of wheelchair dancing is to assists with the maintenance of physical balance, flexibility, range of motion, coordination, and it enhances respiratory control. The psychological effects of ballroom dancing is social interaction and the development of relationships. For social dancers, it is an opportunity to engage in a fun and a friendly event with others. For competitors, it assist in the development of fair play, sportsmanship and communication skills. Wheelchair dancing is an activity that integrates the wheelchair user and able-bodied person.
The UK are not, at this time, a member of the IPWDSC, and do not compete internationally. The Wheelchair Dance Association, established 1974, aims to unite Wheelchair Dance Teams in regional and national festivals. The WDA national championships were held in Blackpool in November 2006. The BBC OneLife documentary, "Dancing on Wheels" (broadcast in England on BBC1 at 10.35pm on 17 April 2007), followed some of the teams at the Championships, including the Inverclyders and Concorde Wheelchair Dancers, exploring some of the reasons that people enjoy wheelchair dance in the UK.
Accredited Courses in Wheelchair Dancing In February, 2008 the the University of Delaware Collegiate DanceWheels Program was created to instruct students in wheelchair dancing. This is the first accredited course of its kind in the United States. The program was developed in conjuntion with the American DanceWheels Foundation through a grant from The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
