Blog: "Wheelchair dance gave me back my sparkle"
Our website features a blog post every Friday through the year. The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) website features a blog post every Friday through the year. In 2016 we’re taking a look at an A-Z of accessible sporting and fitness opportunities available to disabled people. This week it’s W for wheelchair dance, and teenager Caitlin McNiven from Manchester discusses falling in love with dancing once again.
Caitlin's blog
From the age of two I’ve danced, and before needing to use a wheelchair I enjoyed ballet, tap dancing and jazz. Dancing is something my family has always done, and when I was little it was just a fun thing to do at the weekend. I was alright at it, doing all the exams possible.
I haven’t always been a wheelchair user, but I’ve been using a chair every day for the past four-and-a-half years.
I developed a condition which meant my mobility declined and I ended up needing to use a wheelchair full-time from the age of 13. I didn’t then dance for about a year, but after those first 12 months I tried wheelchair dance.
I discovered Strictly Wheelchair Dancing on the internet and delayed trying it for a few months, but in the end was persuaded to visit as it’s only round the corner from where I live. But for a while I did have anxiety around attending the club, as I was still adapting to using a chair.
Now I’ve been wheelchair dancing for a few years, attending sessions at Wythenshawe in south Manchester. I dance with a partner, Melvyn, and we sometimes compete, and I also enjoy solo. My routines are to ballroom and Latin, things like quickstep, samba and so on.
To rediscover dance was amazing – once I tried it in a wheelchair for the first time I knew it was right for me. But the sensation of dancing in a wheelchair was completely different to anything I had tried before.
It took me only a couple of sessions to get to a decent level and feel like skilful dancer again. That’s because the tutor, Ray, pushes us all quite hard. Once I found myself a partner and learned the basics improvement was quite fast after that and, within two months, I was already competing over in Holland!
Through wheelchair dance I have met quite a few people similar to me. And of course it improves your fitness, while it’s had a really big impact on my confidence – my self-esteem had been quite low after having to start using a wheelchair. Wheelchair dance gave me back my sparkle.
Read more in the A-Z blogs series.
