Dance Your Heart Out

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10

Dancing has become popular among all types of disability groups. It is easy to learn basic dance techniques, whether you have a mobility, hearing, or vision impairment.

Dancing from your wheelchair
Dancing from a wheelchair might seem impossible to some, but whoever said you have to use your feet to be able to dance? In the professional ranks of the wheelchair dancing world, there are a plethora of techniques and rules when learning the how-to’s of wheelchair dance. Professional wheelchair dance, a sport featured in the Paralympics, has several dance categories: Combi dance (a partner dance with one partner in a wheelchair and the other able-bodied); DUO dance (partner dance with both partners in wheelchairs), Group dance (a group of more than two wheelchair dancers with or without non-disabled partners), and Single dance (a wheelchair-user dances alone).

The partners do traditional dances such as the Waltz, Tango, Vienna Waltz, Samba, and many others. Organized recreational mixed-ability dance troupes also perform square dancing, ballet, line-dancing, hip-hop, and jazz.

How do they do it? Well, it involves a lot of imagination and hard work.

• Spinning the wheelchair in timed circles with the beat of the music is a common move you’ll see these dancers perform.
• Pushing the chair in different movements, weaving at times, is also a common move.
• A more obvious way to dance from your wheelchair is by using your upper body. There are thousands of dance moves professional and recreational wheelchair dancers can perform by using their upper body.
• Watch what other dancers are doing and try it yourself. You never know, you might just be able to pull it off.
• Music along with movements is very important in competitive wheelchair dancing. Just like in “regular” dancing the couple should be two as one. The emotion and interpretation of the music should be shown in the movement of the dancers.
• And lastly, professional wheelchair dancers can perform the same dances as “normal” dancers. Let your wheels become your legs.