Being in a wheelchair and having reduced mobility doesn't mean you can't dance. If you want, there's nothing stopping you from blasting the music and busting your best moves! Wheelchair dancing can be a profession, a fundraising activity or rehab therapy. But all of its applications have something in common: they are beneficial and very fun.
Being in a wheelchair and having reduced mobility doesn't mean you can't dance.
As an artistic profession, we have to mention the most competitive wheelchair dances: those at world championships with professional dancers. These are partner dance competitions where at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair. The activity has been regulated by the International Paralympic Committee since 1998 and is coordinated by the IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport Technical Committee, which incorporates the technical rules established by the World DanceSport Federation. At these championships, with overwhelming elegance, the best dancers face off in three categories: standard (waltz, tango, etc.), Latin (samba, rumba, paso doble, etc.) and freestyle (folk, hip hop, etc.).
A good example of wheelchair dancing as a fun fundraising tool is the Walk&Roll Foundation. Women with disabilities united by their passion for dance travel around California performing their choreographies. But the most important aspect is what's behind it all: these girls, through the foundation, motivate people with disabilities to pursue their dreams despite the difficulties. A spinal injury changed their lives but thanks to the Walk&Roll Foundation, they've kept on dancing. If they can, everyone else can too. And, of course, their performances are really cool!
To finish up, one of the most enriching and fun options is dance as rehab therapy and integration tool for wheelchair users. One example is the integrated dance association called Liant la Troca, from the city of Granollers. It is led by Jordi Cortés, dancer and choreographer, and organised by Patricia Carmona.
Patricia, who was left quadriplegic after an accident, found the satisfaction she used to get from rhythmic gymnastics in wheelchair dancing. Created in 2011, Liant la Troca is made up of people with "different artistic and motor abilities to convey to the audience concepts of ability, integration, accessibility and inclusion, making them forget concepts like disability, rejection, segregation, etc." Through art and movement, they delight us with their performances (their schedule is available online). In addition to her artistic side, Patricia fights tirelessly for the rights of people with physical disabilities, presides over the Aspaym Cataluña association and was a pioneer in using our handbikes as the second user of the BATEC QUAD ELECTRIC after its inventor Pau Bach.
«Liant la Troca is made up of people with 'different artistic and motor abilities to convey to the audience concepts of ability, integration, accessibility and inclusion'.»
Furthermore, if we hop over to Pamplona, we find the Esther Amorós dance school. Esther, a dance teacher, along with the Government of Navarra, launched a project to study the benefits of dancing on people with physical disabilities. The conclusion was that they are all positive: improving coordination, mobility, flexibility and social inclusion by fostering social relationships. At her dance school in Barañáin (Pamplona) you can have fun while getting all the benefits of dancing.
Wheelchair dancing has positive effects: improving coordination, mobility, flexibility and social inclusion by fostering social relationships.
Who's up for moving their wheels to the beat? ;-)