Wheelchair Dancing

Dancing is one of the most popular activities in the world. Some people even make a sport out of it. The sport of wheelchair dancing is one such attempt. Thankfully, for many it has caught on with a large number of people and continues to grow in popularity on a daily basis. Sometimes it is referred to as wheelchair dancesport. There are two competitive versions of this sport which include combi-style, an individual in a wheelchair mixed with a partner that is fully functioning on a physical level, and duo-style, where both dancers are in a wheelchair.

The style of dance involved in official competitive wheelchair dancing are all ballroom associated. The standard styles are the waltz, Viennese waltz, tango, slow foxtrot, and quickstep. Latin rhythm style dances are performed as well and these typically include the jive, samba, rumba, paso doble, and cha-cha-cha, among others. The first international competition occurred in 1977. Currently there are thousands of professionally oriented participants in over forty countries that are actively engaged in wheelchair dancesport competitions.

There are many reasons for an individual to participate in this sport. The exercise is a solid reason. However, the social interaction and the ability to shine on stage in a way that some other sports do not allow for is a great confidence builder for any athlete, disabled or not. Given the fact that there is a requirement of two individuals to participate in this sport there is also a sense of camaraderie among the participants as well as team rivalry.