Ever watched Dancing With the Stars and wished you could do that? Or watched from the corner while your friends danced at a wedding or a party and longed to be out there with them? Maybe you just want a fun way to get in shape?
With the help of American DanceWheels, it’s possible for anyone to learn to dance, even if they thought they couldn’t. Ray Leight, a paraplegic as the result of a 1991 car accident, and Melinda Kremer, a ballroom dancer and mother of a disabled child, founded American DanceWheels Foundation in 1998 with help from Sandra Fortuna.
American DanceWheels teaches American-style wheelchair ballroom dancing. The international style, popular in Europe and Asia, is a refined style in which the arms are held high, handholds are hard to break and the able-bodied dancer always leads. Most people in the U.S. are not familiar with the international style and it limits with whom you can dance. In the American style of ballroom dance, if a person knows dances such as the waltz, the foxtrot, the cha cha or even the hustle, they can dance with a partner in a wheelchair.
History of Wheelchair Dance
Wheelchair ballroom dancing has been around since 1972, and has become increasingly popular as a competitive sport. There are 5,000 registered wheelchair dancers in Europe and 8,000 in Asia. Most overseas ballroom dancing competitions regularly feature 150 to 300 wheelchair dancers and their nondisabled partners. The international style, however, focuses more on the able-bodied dancer. The American style showcases both dancers’ abilities and Leight expects it to grow in popularity in the coming years.
The first international competition in wheelchair dancing was held in Sweden in 1977. The first World Championships of wheelchair dancing were organized in Japan in 1998 after several regional and international competitions. Wheelchair ballroom dancing is not yet a Paralympic sport. However, if it contiues to grow in popularity, the international style may makes its way into the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia. Wheelchair dancers may participate in combo-style with a nondisabled partner or duo dancing for two wheelchair users. Formation dancing is for four, six or eight couples dancing in formation.
Benefits of Dance
The physical benefits of dancing are obvious: increased strength and stamina, aerobic fitness and general well being. But the social benefits can sometimes be more important than the health benefits. It allows a person in a wheelchair to function in a nondisabled world, on his/her level, says Leight. You get so much from socializing. You can meet your spouse while out dancing, close a business deal in a social setting, make new friends and so on.
For More Information on Wheelchair Dance
There are a variety of wheelchair dance groups devoted to many kinds of dance. To learn more about wheelchair dancing, visit one of these websites or do a Google search to find a group in your area.
- American DanceWhels
- Axis Dance Company
- Full Radius Dance
Megan Abrams - I have lived with the effects of a childhood stroke for more than half my life and offer a uniquely personal perspective on disability.
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