Blind Ballroom Competition A Triumph for Inclusive Dance
Inclusion of blind ballroom dancers in the international Freedom to Dance competition on Sunday May 3rd at London’s Intercontinental Hotel, O2 was a triumph for inclusive dance. A group of 30 blind and partially sighted dancers took to the floor competing in two new categories for Ballroom and Latin dance. Dancing in front of a live audience, this was a groundbreaking moment for everyone.
Twelve of the competitors are students of Step Change Studios which provides the only dedicated blind ballroom programme in the country. They danced with their sighted volunteer partners who guided them around the dance floor. Their hard work in training paid off with Step Change Studios winning 1st place in: Blind ballroom Waltz, Tango and Quickstep, plus Latin Cha Cha, Samba and Rumba. The partially sighted dancers won their Tango, Cha Cha and Rumba category. Overall, the Step Change Studios group won 33 top 3-placed medals. While an achievement, what they truly won was recognition and a new-found confidence in their ability.
Step Change Studios founder, Dr Rashmi Becker MBE, has played an instrumental part in lobbying for blind dancers to take part in a mainstream competition and she couldn’t be happier to see this major step forward for inclusion.
“I have been advocating for blind people to be included in ballroom classes and competitions for many years,” says Rashmi. “While we celebrated Chris McCausland winning Strictly, without grassroots opportunities for people to learn and compete, we can’t turn inspiration into action. I hope the ballroom world will take their lead from Freedom to Dance and provide more events that bring dancers of different backgrounds together.”
Most of Rashmi’s students were completely new to ballroom when they joined or had not danced since losing their sight. They were initially cautious after previous negative experiences that impacted their confidence, leaving some feeling socially isolated. However, once they overcame that initial fear and stepped foot in class, they kept coming back.
The chance to dance
Dancing in a weekly class brings participants so much joy but Rashmi always wants to challenge students and give them the opportunity to get out of the studio and onto a competitive dancefloor. Spurred on by their enthusiasm, she collaborates with leaders in Ballroom to create new opportunities for students to shine. As a result of this competition, one of the judges was so impressed, the group has been invited to compete in Italy in the Autumn. Rashmi is hoping she can raise funds to make this happen.
“I am so proud of our students, who danced with such joy and confidence,” she continues. “It was heartening to see the faces of families watching their loved ones compete for the first
time. Their achievements are proof why we need to change the culture from focusing on what disabled people can’t do, to what they can.”
Rashmi welcomed the inclusion of blind ballroom categories in the Freedom to Dance competition. “One in four people in the UK has a disability. It’s time to move the margins to the mainstream and this is an important milestone in that journey. I hope we can harness this positive energy from Sunday’s competition and move our sector beyond dipping its toe in the water to fully jumping in!”
