Perth hosted Australia’s first international Para Dance course.
Perth hosted the world’s biggest event of its kind last month when 33 participants took part in a World Para Dance Sport coaching course.
Para Dance has only recently been available in Australia, 50 years after it started in Sweden to provide those in wheelchairs an opportunity to dance.
Not-for-profit Para and Ability Dance WA was established in Perth in 2019.
“We look after the interests of dancers with physical and intellectual disabilities,” chair Darryl Davenport said.
“We advocate on their behalf and provide opportunities for them to participate in dance events.”
Awarded a coaching and officiating grant from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, the not-for-profit group hosted a World Para Dance Sport coaching course in Perth from January 27 to 29.
Based in Germany, World Para Dance Sport is the international organisation for wheelchair dancing and coordinates these events.
It has directed courses since 2018, hosting a total of eight across Latvia, France, Brazil, Taiwan, the US and now, Australia.
According to World Para Dance Sport, Perth 2023 was the biggest course on record, with 33 participants, compared to the previous next highest of 13 in Taiwan.
“World Para Dance were extremely keen because there hasn’t been a coaching course in … the Oceania region before,” Mr Davenport told Business News.
Austrian Para Dance facilitators Diethard Govekar and Kerstin Govekar led the Perth course, which ended with a lunch reception at Government House on January 31, hosted by WA governor Chris Dawson.
The City of Perth awarded Para and Ability Dance WA with a venues support grant valued at $2,500 to use the Perth Town Hall for the three-day event.
“We had people from Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia all fly in to participate,” Mr Davenport said.
“We are hoping this course will initiate the growth of Para Dance in other regions of Australia where the sport is currently unavailable to people in wheelchairs.”
Para Dance competitions are run alongside the Australian Dance Sport Championship, but only Western Australia and Victoria nominated teams to participate in recent events, indicating the slow take-up of the sport more generally.
World Para Dance Sport manager Camila Rodrigues said there had been significant growth in Para Dance participation in countries that had hosted coaching courses.
For example, a new Para Dance team was established in France after that country hosted a coaching event, while there are plans for the US to hold its own national competition in 2024.
“World Para Dance Sport hopes the coaching courses will continue to attract more athletes and countries to join and promote our sport, as every team brings something different,” Ms Rodrigues said.
Inclusivity
Mr Davenport said Para Dance encouraged a more inclusive society and increased access for people who used wheelchairs.
“A lot of other para sports, like wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis, are run on separate days at separate events [to the traditional sports],” Mr Davenport said.
“But Para Dance events are run as part of the main dance sport in Australia, so they are on the same floor with the same judging panel and the same audience as all the other dancers.
“It’s very inclusive.”
Para and Ability Dance WA secretary Deb Hegarty said the opportunity for people with physical and intellectual disabilities to participate in dance boosted their confidence.
“It’s so amazing just to see the change in our dancers,” Ms Hegarty told Business News.
“This actually benefits society, too, because these people feel more confident, and therefore more motivated to get jobs.
“One of our dancers is in a wheelchair and works as a relief teacher.
“She really struggled to get a job before participating in Para Dance and now she’s teaching.”
Paralympics
Ms Rodrigues said targeting the promotion and growth of Para Dance was what inspired World Para Dance Sport to implement coaching courses.
“The ultimate aim is the inclusion of Para Dance Sport in the Paralympic Games program in the future,” Ms Rodrigues.
As a branch of the International Paralympic Committee, it is World Para Dance Sport’s job to make this happen.
Of the 10 para sports governed and funded by the IPC, Para Dance is the only one not included in the Paralympics.
And that exclusion is set to continue, with an announcement on January 30 that World Para Dance Sport’s application for the Los Angeles games in 2028 was not accepted.
Mr Davenport said Australia was a long way behind the rest of the world with Para Dance, but there was promise for growth of the sport here.
“When World Para Dance Sport put in the application for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, there were 32 countries that did Para Dance and Australia was not one of them,” he said.
“However, we’re hoping once it’s recognised as a Paralympic sport, there will be greater opportunities in Australia and greater interest for people to pursue it.”
Para dancers in WA are training for the Tokyo Para Dance Sport International Competition in August this year.
“We are getting ready for those, and the coaching course was part of the preparation for it,” Mr Davenport said.
