Wheelchair DanceSport is a
dance competition
Competitive dance is a popular, widespread sport in which competitors perform dances in any of several permitted dance styles—such as acro, ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, modern, musical theatre, tap, and improv—before a ...
, individual,
partner
Partner, Partners, The Partner, or, The Partners may refer to:
Books
* ''The Partner'' (Grisham novel), by John Grisham, 1997
* ''The Partner'' (Jenaro Prieto novel), 1928
* ''The Partners'' (book), a 1983 book by James B. Stewart
* ''Partner'' (m ...
, team and
Dancesport
Dancesport is competitive ballroom dance, ballroom dancing, as contrasted to social or exhibition dancing. In the case of Para dancesport, at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair.
Dancesport events are sanctioned and regulated by dancesp ...
where at least one of the dancers is in a
wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...
.
Sport
Wheelchair couple dances are for two wheelchair users or for one wheelchair user with a "standing" partner and include
standard dances such as
waltz
The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position.
History
There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...
,
tango
Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
,
Viennese waltz
Viennese waltz (german: Wiener Walzer) is a genre of ballroom dance. At least four different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in b ...
,
slow foxtrot and
quickstep
The quickstep is a light-hearted dance of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal a ...
and
Latin American dance
Latin dance is a general label, and a term in partner dance competition jargon. It refers to types of ballroom dance and folk dance that mainly originated in Latin America.
The category of Latin dances in the international dancesport competi ...
s such as
samba
Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...
,
cha-cha-cha
Cha cha cha may refer to:
* ''Cha-cha-chá'' (music), a style of Cuban dance music
* Cha-cha-cha (dance), a Latin American dance accompanying the music
Film and television
* ''Cha Cha Cha'' (film), a 2013 Italian crime film
* ''Cha Cha Cha'' ...
,
rumba
The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba ...
,
paso doble
Pasodoble (Spanish language, Spanish: ''double step'') is a fast-paced Spanish military march used by infantry troops. Its speed allowed troops to give 120 steps per minute (double the average of a regular unit, hence its name). This military ...
and
jive. There are also formation dances for four, six or eight dancers.
Wheelchair dancing started in Sweden in 1968, originally for recreation or rehabilitation, with the first competition held in 1975. The first international competition was also held in Sweden, in 1977. Several regional and international competitions followed and the first World Championship was held in Japan in 1998. Since 1998, Wheelchair Dance Sport is governed by the
International Paralympic Wheelchair Dance Sport Committee (IPWDSC), although it is a part of the paralympic program. The sport corporates the rules of the
World DanceSport Federation
The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), formerly the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF), is the international governing body
A governing body is a group of people that has the authority to exercise governance over an organization or p ...
(WDSF).
Classification
* Combi: dancing with an able-bodied (standing) partner
* Duo: dance for two wheelchair users together
* Formation: dances for four, six or eight couples dancing in formation
Athletes are placed into one of two classes:
Classification
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* LWD 1: 14 points or less
* LWD 2: more than 14 points
World Para DanceSport Championships
European Para DanceSport Championships
Asian Para DanceSport Championships
Social
Wheelchair dancing is a popular social and recreational activity, with participants in over 40 countries. The physical benefits of wheelchair dancing include the maintenance of physical balance, flexibility, range of motion, coordination and improved respiratory control. The psychological effects of ballroom dancing
Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television.
...
are 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 assists in the development of fair play, sportsmanship and communication skills. Wheelchair dancing is an activity that integrates the wheelchair user and able-bodied person.
Courses
In February, 2008 the University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...
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 conjunction with the American DanceWheels Foundation through a grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is a charitable organization headquartered in Short Hills, New Jersey, dedicated to finding treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders.
The organizat ...
.
See also
* Physically integrated dance
The physically integrated dance movement is part of the disability culture movement, which recognizes and celebrates the first-person experience of disability, not as a medical model construct but as a social phenomenon, through artistic, litera ...
* Dancing on Wheels (a British television show)
* Piotr Iwanicki
* Brian Fortuna
Brian Fortuna (born September 20, 1982) is an American professional ballroom dancer, choreographer and instructor.
Biography
Brian Fortuna is currently starring in Theatre Production's Limited ''Over the Rainbow'' as Danny Cassidy. He rec ...
References
External links
* IPC- Wheelchair Dancesport
* https://www.paralympic.org/dance-sport/results
{{Main world championships
Dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
Parasports organizations
Dancesport
Social dance
Physically integrated dance