Wheelchair dancing is coming to Ö÷²¥´óÐã Three
If you've been glued to the hit Ö÷²¥´óÐã show Strictly Come Dancing in recent years, then here's some big news: wheelchair users will soon be getting the ballroom glamour and glitz treatment too.
Later this year, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Three will be showing a six-part series with the working title of Dancing on Wheels, in which some top celebs join forces with wheelchair users who have never danced before, all of them competing for the top prize of a place representing the UK in the Wheelchair Dance Sport European Championships, due to take place in Israel in October. They'll have only five weeks to master everything from the Cha Cha Cha to the Paso Doble.
The celebrities include some former Strictly competitors - M People singer Heather Small, medal-winning swimmer Mark Foster and rugby legend Martin Offiah. In addition, lead choreographer Brian Fortuna - a professional ballroom dancer who appeared in the last series of Strictly, and who has been teaching wheelchair dancing for the last eight years - will be putting the couples through their paces each week, as they take on a variety of exhausting dance disciplines.
The wheelchair users are: Simone, a 22 year-old Cambridge graduate; Diana, a 48 year-old magazine editor and mother; 27 year-old Carolyne, who enjoys nothing more than a night out; James, a cocky 31 year-old with some impressive acrobatic abilities; Paul, a 24 year-old festival-goer who is looking forward to Glastonbury this summer; and 23 year-old Harris, who recently got married to a girl he met whilst travelling in Thailand.
Wheelchair dancing is an extremely popular international sport, which is practised in 22 countries and with competitions and championships held across the world. In the series, the couples will be competing in the 'combi' event, where a standing able-bodied dancer partners a wheelchair user. If you want to get a taste of what it involves, check out we found on YouTube.
We'll bring you more details on the series as we get them, and keep a look-out for it on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Three later in the year.
Comment number 1.
At 30th May 2009, prettybillythekid wrote:im pleased to see the Ö÷²¥´óÐã giving more exposure to disabled people. I for one can't wait to see this programme, and hope other channels will follow suit.
regards
bill@
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Comment number 2.
At 1st Jun 2009, WheeledTraveler wrote:I think it's great that the Ö÷²¥´óÐã is doing this. I'm a bit extra excited because I'm a wheelchair user who has danced with Brian Fortuna a little so I'm looking forward to seeing what he comes up with for choreography.
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Comment number 3.
At 6th Jun 2009, janaltus wrote:Yes, I agree. This is great news! It's just a shame, Vaughan, that you write: "the 'combi' event, where a standing able-bodied dancer partners a wheelchair user.". Able-bodied?
It would be great if you could - at some time - check out the NUJ Journalist's Guide to Disability (link below). It advises that, within a context such as this, one avoids the use of terms such as "able bodied, healthy or normal" and employs the term "non-disabled" instead.
Link:
I hope you find the guide informative.
Best wishes, and thanks for a highly informative article.
J
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Comment number 4.
At 22nd Jun 2009, biglegless wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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