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Para-Dance & Ability Inclusion events
22-11-2018
DanceSport Western Australia has really embraced the Para & All Ability space with the following activities for 2018:
All Abilities (special needs)
The All Ability competition includes all dancers with disabilities.
DSWA received competitors from:
- Dance Power, Myaree, with Coach Luke Martin
- Can Dance in Bunbury, with Coach Collette Howard
The students have been competing for some time and have connected with DanceSport.
Para Dance
Due to a DSWA initiative for Para Dance (was known as Wheelchair Ballroom Dancing), a ‘Come and Try’ day was held in February 2018.
Further activities then followed:
- Three pilot programs - one for children and two for adults
- Adult classes, with coaches Darryl Davenport and Caesar Chong, assisted by volunteers and members of the WA Formation Team
- Junior Classes, with coaches Pat Taylor and Grete Kasi and volunteers Kari Harrison, Lauren Chisholm and Cailyn McManus
Demonstrations by Para-Dance were also held at:
- ADS Night of Stars - 9 June 2018
- Live Lighter 2018 DanceSport WA Open - 27 October 2018
DSWA Chairman, Judy Pegus (Williams) attended the first Asian Para Dance coaching course, run by the IPC in Taipei, Taiwan in early October.
VIP Guests
Para Dance gave a demonstration at the Live Lighter 2018 DanceSport WA Open Championships, and this was received enthusiastically by the crowd. (Live Lighter is a statewide campaign funded by the Department of Health WA.)
The Minister for Environment and Disability Services, the Honorable Stephen Dawson attended with Mrs Esme Bowen, Disability Advocate, in attendance. Minister Dawson and Esme presented the awards to the Para dancers & Ability event participants.
Minister Dawson stayed for more than two hours speaking with dancers, coaches and volunteers. He was excited about their work and has promised to consider DanceSport for funding for the All Ability & Para Dance participants and coaches.
On the move
DSWA are very keen to keep the momentum going for:
Australian Special Olympics 2019
WA will be involved with the Special Olympics from 2019 and plan to send a team to these championships in Launceston, Tasmania in October 2020.
Progressing Para Dance
Four of the adult para dancers are travelling to Melbourne to:
- Dance in the first para dance event at the ADS Australian Championship
- See the World Para Dance Champions demonstrate at the event
Next year DSWA will hold events in this category. Well done WA!
PS - We thank VC photography for supplying the images.
