On Tuesday 15th November, ten disabled people will perform to an audience of 200 people at the iconic Porchester Hall, as they compete in a very special community initiative aimed at shattering stereotypes and breaking barriers to participation.
Over 100 disabled people have taken part in free dance workshops as part of Dance Westminster, a pan-disability initiative created by inclusive dance company Step Change Studios in partnership with Westminster City. Participants were also encouraged to audition for the competition and 10 finalists were chosen to train with professional dance partners and perform in a special grand finals event in London.
The age range of finalists is 12-91 and include participants with sight loss, Autism, and Dementia. Most will be dancing to a live audience for the first time and have chosen a diverse range of music covering Bollywood, Hip Hop, Fado, Swing and Contemporary.
Finalist Ayuna who is originally from Siberia and will be performing with a former BBC Young Dancer of the Year said: “Until the age of 15, I was healthy and lived an active and happy life. I feel nothing has changed except I am now a wheelchair user. I mysteriously developed an inflammation of the spinal cord in the thoracic spine and as a result lost sensation in half of my body. However, I feel lucky to have met incredible people around the world. Before my injury, I used to ballroom dance and have since dreamed of returning to the dance floor. Now I have finally succeeded!”
Hishaam, who is 13 years old and has Autism will be dancing to Bollywood music and has been practicing with his traditional ‘dandiya’ sticks. His parents said: “Hishaam is our only child. He was born healthy and reached all his milestones up to the age of two. We became concerned as he grew older, moving from saying single words to becoming silent. He has come a long way since then and we are extremely proud of his achievements. Dance has especially helped him gain confidence and to express his emotions and we are all excited to see him perform.”
Rashmi Becker MBE, founder of Step Change Studios said: “78% of disabled people say their impairment or condition stops them being active, yet 8 in 10 want to be more active. The pandemic led to less support and increasing barriers relating to health and fitness for disabled people with less than 3 in 10 disabled people wanting to return to physical activity after the pandemic. Now in its third year, Dance Westminster targets disabled people who lack opportunities to be active and who stand to gain the biggest benefits to their wellbeing.1
“We know from the popularity of shows like Strictly, how much the nation loves dancing. It is wonderful to see our finalists dancing standing, seated, with their Zimmer frames and sensory props and getting lost in the music. Dancing is something everyone should be able to enjoy and I hope initiatives like this help challenge perceptions of who can dance and lead to more diversity in dance – from community to professional level.”
