 Senang Hati-Diah Larasati-Wheelchair Dance | |
| Highest governing body | World DanceSport Federation WDSF |
|---|---|
| First played | 1968 Sweden |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Yes |
| Team members | Single competitors, doubles, or teams |
| Mixed-sex | Yes |
| Type | Indoor |
| Equipment | Wheelchair |
| Venue | Dance hall |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Worldwide |
| Paralympic | 1998,[1] 2024 (Upcoming) |
Wheelchair DanceSport is a dance competition, individual, partner, team and Dancesport where at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair.
Wheelchair couple dances are for two wheelchair users or for one wheelchair user with a "standing" partner and include standard dances such as waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot and quickstep and Latin American dances such as samba, cha-cha-cha, rumba, paso doble and jive. There are also formation dances for four, six or eight dancers.[2]
Wheelchair dancing started in Sweden in 1968, originally for recreation or rehabilitation, with the first competition held in 1975. The first international competition was also held in Sweden, in 1977. Several regional and international competitions followed and the first World Championship was held in Japan in 1998. Since 1998, Wheelchair Dance Sport is governed by World Para Dance Sport, formerly the International Paralympic Wheelchair Dance Sport Committee (IPWDSC), which is a subcommittee of the International Paralympic Committee. The sport corporates the rules of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF).[2]
Athletes are placed into one of two classes:[3]
| Edition | Year | Host City | Country | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998 | Nagano |  Japan |
|
| 2 | 2000 | Oslo |  Norway |
|
| 3 | 2002 | Warsaw |  Poland |
|
| 4 | 2004 | Tokyo | Japan |
|
| 5 | 2006 | Arnhem |  Netherlands |
|
| 6 | 2008 | Minsk |  Belarus |
|
| 7 | 2010 | Hannover |  Germany |
|
| 8 | 2013 | Tokyo | Japan |
|
| 9 | 2015 | Rome |  Italy |
|
| 10 | 2017 | Malle |  Belgium |
| Edition | Year | Host City | Country | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1991 | Munich | Germany |
|
| 2 | 1993 | Oslo | Norway |
|
| 3 | 1995 | Duisburg | Germany |
|
| 4 | 1997 | Härnösand |  Sweden |
|
| 5 | 1999 | Athens |  Greece |
|
| 6 | 2001 | Arnhem | Netherlands |
|
| 7 | 2003 | Minsk | Belarus |
|
| 9 | 2007 | Warsaw | Poland |
|
| 10 | 2009 | Tel Aviv |  Israel |
|
| 11 | 2014 | Łomianki | Poland |
|
| 12 | 2016 | Kosice |  Slovakia |
| Edition | Year | Host City | Country | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016 | New Taipei City |  Chinese Taipei |
Wheelchair dancing is a popular social and recreational activity, with participants in over 40 countries.[4] The physical benefits of wheelchair dancing include the maintenance of physical balance, flexibility, range of motion, coordination and improved respiratory control. The psychological effects of ballroom dancing are social interaction and the development of relationships. For social dancers, it is an opportunity to engage in a fun and a friendly event with others. For competitors, it assists in the development of fair play, sportsmanship and communication skills. Wheelchair dancing is an activity that integrates the wheelchair user and able-bodied person.[5]
In February, 2008 the University of Delaware Collegiate DanceWheels Program was created to instruct students in wheelchair dancing. This is the first accredited course of its kind in the United States. The program was developed in conjunction with the American DanceWheels Foundation through a grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.[6]
