D A N C E!!!!!!!!!!

I have been a dancer since the age of three. It is one of my passions that has been prevalent throughout my life and I know I would be lost without being able to participate in dance in some form. While most people think you have to be able to walk to dance, 
Wheelchair Dance defies all of those previous misconceptions. I think what is so innovative about it besides the obvious is that you can be a wheelchair dancer whether you are a paraplegic or quadriplegic! If you have the determination and willingness to dance, you can! Dance is such a beautiful art form, and I love how extensive wheelchair dance has become throughout the world! The Wheelchair Dancesport USA Association has a lot of good information on the sport of Wheelchair Dance.

Q: So where did Wheelchair Dance begin?

A: In Sweeden in 1968! Els-Britt Larsson was one of the pioneers of the sport.

The mission statement of the Wheelchair Dancesport USA Association as stated on their website is:

"A

s a non profit association, is to promote, initiate and stimulate the growth and development of Wheelchair Dancesport in the United States 

of America. 

This is accomplished by providing wheelchair dance programs, organizing classes, performances, training camps and seminars for those serving children and adults with disabilities, as well as supporting recreational and competitive wheelchair dancers and able-bodied dancers. This emphasizes to the public the healthful aspects of wheelchair ballroom dancing; its physical, mental and social benefits." 

There are many different forms of Wheelchair Dance---whatever forms "able-bodied" dancers are able to do, wheelchair dancers can do as well!

The types of competitive 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.

The Forms of Wheelchair dance are divided up into these categories:Combi dance - a wheelchair user dances with an able-bodied partner.
Duo dance - two wheelchair-users dance together.
Group dance - wheelchair users only or together with able-bodied partners.
Single dance - a wheelchair user dances alone.

Here is a super cool video of a International Wheelchair Dance Championship! They are so awesome!

There is even a special program that they created where kids in wheelchairs can do Ballroom dancing! Here is the flyer on their website that explains some goals that kids learn during the dancing process:

I would love to see a Wheelchair dance competition in person! I think this would be a good way to incorporate arts into the field of TR. This would definitely be an avenue that I would look into doing some volunteer work/future job work with!