(from the left Caroline, Billy, Chris, Sharon, Charles, Marion, Barbara and Pauline
(December 2006)
OUR GROUP
Wallace Co Wheelchair Dance Group started up in August 2005 by Janette Burns and Marion Burns. We started it because there was no group in Renfrewshire and Marion was keen to take up wheelchair dancing again.
We have 12 members this year and meet in the Disability Resource Centre in Paisley. The group mainly has people who have cerebral palsy and we are in class C which means that we are less able bodied and have limited movement.
We enjoy meeting together as we have a lot in common as well as our love for dancing.
We do four different styles of dance which are;
Set Dance
This is a dance where the team must use set moves choreographed to one particular piece of music We dance in a group made up of couples. This year we danced to " Nine Million Bicycles" by Katie Me lua. For the next festival we are dancing to the Flower Waltz. That should be fun to learn as there's a chain in it!
Novelty Dance
This is a dance that the dancers need to make up, choose their own music, get dressed up, and use props. It is great fun! We did a dance to " Summer Nights" from GREASE! and everyone found it funny at the festival especially when Bob took off Marion's skirt to leave the black tight trousers of " Sandy" !
Ballroom and PHAB Couples
Ballroom Couples are couples who usually have to perform two dances, but they have to make up their own steps in the style of the dance, e.g. Modern Waltz or Latin American. . This year for the festival B couples Maureen and Sandy had to perform 2 dances which are the Samba and the Waltz. The C couple, Marion and Chris, had to dance the Cha-cha.
PHAB (Physically Handicapped and Able Bodied) couples are a couple where someone is in a wheelchair dancing with a partner who is able bodied and dancing on foot. Again they have to dance to a set piece of music but they have to make up their own steps. Sharon and Billy did the Cha Cha.
Freestyle
In this dance you can dance anyway you want to pop music and you dress up in your disco gear and just enjoy yourself!