Para Cups | Integrated Dancing
The organisers of the recent "IDO World HipHop- and Electric Boogie Integrative Para Cups" in Bochum, GER, must be congratulated.
Staged concurrently with the World HipHop, Electric Boogie and Breakdance Championship, the Para Cups allowed dancers with a disability to team up with able-bodied dancers and to compete in solo, group and formation events. Dancers from Germany, Serbia and South Africa participated in the inaugural edition on 3 and 4 October at the RuhrCongress in Bochum.
Wheelchair DanceSport - under the auspices of the International Paralympic Committee - comprises officially only the disciplines Latin and Standard, and it is limited to athletes with a physical disability affecting the lower limbs. However, Latin and Standard competitions are held regularly for the blind and dancers with Down Syndrome too.
With the Para Cups in Bochum, new disciplines of DanceSport become accessible to dancers with a wide range of disabilities. Michael Wendt, International Dance Organisation (IDO) Vice President and competition director of the Para Cups, was very happy with the premiere. "The big success of the Para dancing in IDO is motivating us to go on now. I am sure many other IDO countries will follow," Wendt said.
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