We are extremely saddened by the passing of our co-founder Paula Moulton.

Paula was a star in so many people’s lives and excelled in her own life after finding her love for dance.  She will be deeply missed by friends and family and everyone within the international wheelchair dance community.

From her early days learning to dance, she found a passion and within a year was competing internationally in Holland in 2011 where she took a very unexpected Gold Medal in Amateur Latin with her dance partner and co-founder Gary Lyness.

They remained undefeated across Europe as Amateur Combi Latin Champions for three years and progressed to compete as the UK’s first Top level Wheelchair Dance Sport couple in IPC competitions for Para Dance Sport Team GB in 2016. 

In 2017 they began to train with Accursio Romeo at Romeo Dance Academy in Milton Keynes and reached a highest IPC ranking of 8^th in the World in 2017 in Combi Latin and 7^th in Combi Freestyle.

Known publicly as “Strictly Wheels” and for their appearance on Britain’s Got Talent in 2012 they wowed the judges with their audition getting 4 “yeses” and went through to appear in the live semi-finals.

Paula will be sorely missed by all of us at Strictly Wheels as well as the whole international Para Dance Community.

A Fundraiser page has been set up in her memory to ensure she can have the funeral she deserves and the people that loved her can come together to celebrate.

DONATE HERE

.

It hit the news last weekend that BBC Strictly Come Dancing are on the hunt for a celebrity wheelchair user to pair with a celebrity for this year’s series.

Anyone who knows us, knows that we’ve been dancing wheelchair Ballroom and Latin for over 12 years now and have been wondering when Strictly might get around to including a wheelchair user for the main series.

We all remember back in 2014 there was a Paralympics Sport Relief Special where Paralympian Hannah Cockcroft paired with pro Pasha Kovalev took the crown.  Also appearing was Martine Wright with pro Ian Waite.  We had the pleasure on that occasion to be invited to the studios to help out with tips and technique.  Yet, this was never followed up.

We also saw a brilliant collaboration in 2018 with professional dance company Candoco featuring dancers with various disabilities.

In the past few years we’ve seen several celebrities with differing disabilities competing and they have broken through the barriers to show that our own motto “Ability not Disability” shines through. But not a wheelchair user.

We certainly hope the rumour mill will ring true this year, it’s been a long time coming. Wheelchair users have successfully competed in international versions of the show. In “Dancing with the Stars” Holland,  Bibian Mentel danced all the way to the final in 2019. This was followed by Norway in 2020 with Birgit Skarstein who lasted 8 weeks on the show and more recently Aron Anderson in Sweden’s “Lets Dance” who came fourth.

These other shows prove it can be done!

We’ve been shouting about this for a long time having competed internationally in Ballroom and Latin for Team GB at World Para Dance Sport competitions for the last 10 years. There have been National Competitions in the UK since 2009 with many clubs springing up around the country.

One thing we do hope is that the media reporting on it get “with it” in the language they use when talking about disability.   Using phrases like “wheelchair bound” isn’t helpful.   We are people with disabilities who are also wheelchair users.  For this reason we have always requested final approval on press articles to make sure that correct terminology is used.

Wheelchair Ballroom and Latin dance (now Para Dance) has been around for over 50 years particularly in Europe but has never really taken off to a grand scale in the UK.  The biggest IPC World Championships had 225 athletes from 26 countries competing in Bonn 2019.  We were proud to represent Team GB.

In our early days of dancing we took our sport to the TV screens in Britain’s Got Talent  in 2012 to show the UK that wheelchair Ballroom and Latin does exist and to promote the sport.

We’ll be watching with a keen eye to find out if a wheelchair user makes to the hallowed ballroom and no doubt will be sharing some tips and technique along the way!

We’ve had a terrific year at Strictly Wheels both at home and internationally, so we though we’d look back at some of the Highlights of 2018.

February

Our dancers got to showcase Para Dance at the Forever Manchester Birthday Awards and to say thank you to local funders who have supported our group.

April

Debutante couple, Lloyd and Goz take to the floor at the largest open international competition – the Dutch Open in Cuijk, Netherlands.  They danced Debutante both days of the competition and took home Silver medals in a tough field.

May

Mainhatten Cup in Frankfurt saw Gary and Paula take to the floor for the first time this season following time out for injury.  Lloyd and Goz competed in Debutante again taking a Silver medal.

June

Gary and Paula headed to Poland where they danced Freestyle to gain 4^th place and 6^th place in Latin Combi.

July

Gary leaped off a 300ft crane to do a Bungee Jump helping to raise over £300 for our charity.

August

Gary and Paula took part in the 10^th Gay Games in Paris at their first integrated dance competition to feature wheelchair dance.  They wowed the crowd and the judges taking home the Gold Medal.

They were also welcomed as guests on the Radio 4 Saturday Show following their success.

September

We were thrilled to demo Para Dance at Timestep Community Dance Gala Dinner in Yorkshire and the Associated Board of Dance Annual Gala in Walsall.

Paula was shortlisted for Achievement in Disability Sport at the Manchester Sports Awards.

October

The UK National Championships saw every member of Strictly Wheels’ medal in their categories.  A total of 3 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze were brought home to the club.  Highlights were the Freestyles by Lloyd, Goz and Kay – the first time our dancers have done Freestyle in UK Competition.

November

Gary and Paula headed back to Poland to the European Championships, debuting their new “LaLaLand” freestyle they just missed out on Bronze medal placing 4^th.  They had a good result at this level in Latin placing 5^th.   

Final World Rankings saw them 7^th in Freestyle and 8^th in Latin – their first ever top 10 World Ranking.

They competed at the Malta Open Championships taking double Gold in Latin and Freestyle.

Lloyd and Goz also brought home a Silver Medal in Debutante Latin and Bronze in Debutante Ballroom.

December

A wonderful treat to end the year with all our members  heading to Blackpool to dance at the renowned and beautiful Tower Ballroom.

We’ve had a great year again here at Strictly Wheels with many medals from all our dancers both Nationally and Internationally!

It’s time for a well earned break and rest so here’s the details of our Winter Class Times 2018-2019.

Our classes will run as normal up to 19th December as the last class before Christmas.

19th Dec – 7.00pm

26th Dec – No class

2nd Jan – No class

9th Jan – No class

16th Jan – 7.00pm

23rd Jan – No Class

30th Jan – 7.00pm

6th Feb – No Class

13th Feb – ongoing weekly at 7.00pm

We’ll see you all in the New Year for another great year of Wheelchair Dance!

We have the following highlights to look forward to in 2019:

• UK National
• Dutch Open Championships
• Denmark Open Championships
• WPDS World Championships

If you want to come along and try a class, just pop in, everyone is welcome – wheelchair users and standing dancers alike.  You don’t need to have any experience, everyone is a beginner at some point!

Last Saturday 27^th October, saw dancers from across the country attend the UK National Para Dance Sport Championships 2018 in Harrow.

Strictly Wheels club team featured 5 debutante dancers, with some returning to retain their titles competing alongside over 50 competitors.

The day kicked off with a Latin 5-dance showcase performance from our own GB competitors, Paula Moulton and Gary Lyness.  The couple are currently 8^th in Europe in Latin Combi in the official World Para Dance Sport rankings.

Conventional Events

First to take the floor was the Conventional Singles, with Goz taking to the floor in Class 1 to defend her double title from the last 2 years.  Goz says “The worst part of competing for me is waiting in the line-up for the results.  That’s when my nerves kick in, because it’s out of your control.  You’ve done all you can in the performance and now it’s up to the judges to see if you’re good enough”.

Needless to say, there was nothing to worry about. She shone through with her varied choreography and a winning smile to make her 3^rd consecutive Gold in Single Women Class 1.

Up next was Duo couple Kay dancing with Paula, who samba’d their way to Gold again for Strictly Wheels club.

Lloyd and Goz in Combi Class 1 hoped to win back their title from 2016 but were just pipped to the post by last year’s winners to take Silver Medal for the 2^nd year running.  Their energetic samba stole the show though.

Last to dance in the conventional events was new paring Kay and Melvyn.  They only paired up 3 months ago and were nervous taking to the floor, however, neat footwork and top line in the Waltz and Quickstep sailed them through to take another Gold for Strictly Wheels.  Melvyn said, “It was a very friendly and enjoyable competition”.

Freestyle Events

The afternoon session featured the Freestyle events in Singles, Combi and Group dances.

Gary and Paula opened the afternoon with a sneak preview of their new Freestyle routine.  The routine gets its competition premiere at the WPDS European Championships on 9^th November in Poland.

For the first time ever our dancers took part in the Freestyle events with Kay dancing in Single Women Class 2 and Lloyd and Goz in Combi Class 1.

We’ll be honest, they were a little under rehearsed due to time limits before the event, however, we were incredibly proud of their achievements.

Kay’s emotional routine to “This Is Me” from Greatest Showman stole the round with the audience reaction but failed to wow the judges as much taking the bronze medal.  Kay commented “I especially enjoyed my freestyle dance and the reaction I got, the support and appreciation from the audience was really special and I shall remember that for a long time. I’d do it all over again tomorrow if I could!”.

An atmospheric “He lives in me” from the Lion King from Lloyd and Goz was confidently performed and again saw them pick up the bronze medal.  They’ll be brushing up their routine more in the next 4 weeks before they compete again at the Malta Open Dance Spectacular.  Lloyd said “performing freestyle for the first time was a highlight for me. Despite it not being perfect on the day, one judge scored us first.  So, I know with more polish and practice the routine has potential to do better”.

Lloyd was also quick to congratulate his dance partner; “I realised how much I appreciate Goz as a partner and competitor. Everyone heard how pleased I was when she won gold in Single Women again!! I am proud and lucky to have her as my partner”.

Other memorable performances from other competitors came from Birmingham Freewheelin’s Group routine to Tina Turner’s Rolling.  Not to mention the huge group number by WOWD to Greatest Showman.

Paula said “We’re super proud of our dancers some of whom were thrown freestyle choreography a few weeks ago.  Having the courage to trust us as coaches.  For them to get on the floor and perform the way they did was amazing.  What makes it worthwhile is to see the emotion on their faces when their results are called!  It just goes to show what wheelchair dance can do for people and we hope more people can come and join us to learn.”

In total Strictly Wheels club came away with medal placings in every event.  Total medal tally is 3 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze.

If you are interested in learning to wheelchair dance our classes take place in Manchester each week.  Everyone is welcome no matter what your background or experience.

Our co-founder Gary is taking a leap of faith, literally, as he plunges from a crane to do a 300ft bungee jump to raise funds for Strictly Wheels.

The 300ft bungee jump, the equivalent of leaping off a 20-storey building, is the highest in the UK!

Gary is looking for sponsors and you can donate to us online here – make sure you Gift Aid if you are a UK Tax Payer – this adds a whopping 25% to your donation!

The bungee jump is taking place over the lake at Tatton Park, Cheshire on Saturday 14^th July.  Anyone is welcome to come along and watch.  (There are parking charges at Tatton Park.)

Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates on the fundraising and from the jump on the day!  We’ll even “Go live” to watch!

All the funds raised will go to support our charity which aims to promote wheelchair and Para Dance in the UK and our local class in Manchester.  Our core aim is to keep our classes FREE so those on limited income can still enjoy free classes.  We also support dancers aiming to compete in the UK and internationally to achieve their goals.

Last Saturday 11^th November saw dancers from across the country attend the UK National Para Dance Sport Championship 2017 in Ware, Herts.

The day kicked off with a showcase performance from our own GB competitors, Paula Moulton and Gary Lyness dancing their international Freestyle routine to Empire State of Mind.  The couple are currently 7^th in Europe in Freestyle Combi in the official World Para Dance Sport rankings.

Strictly Wheels club team featured 6 debutante dancers and for most of them, it was their first UK National Championship.

First to take the floor was the Conventional Singles, with Kay and Rachel competing against each other in the Ladies Class 2 and Goz in Class 1.  Goz and Rachel shone through to take Gold with Kay taking Silver in the Class 2.  Single Men Class 2 Gold was clinched by Joe.

Taking to the floor for their 2^nd National were Lloyd and Goz, the largest category – Combi Class 1, the pair danced well, with great timing and footwork, but just fell short of retaining their title, to take the silver medal.

The afternoon session featured the Freestyle events in Singles, Combi and Group dances.

Joe from Strictly Wheels wowed the crowd with a confident performance of his self-choreographed Singles routine to take the Gold Medal.  He took to the floor again with sister, Holly to also take his 3^rd Gold of the day in the Combi Class 2 Freestyle.

The judges praised the all dancers for showing their enthusiasm on the floor together with good technique and demonstrating the character of each dance.

Other memorable performances from other competitors came from WOWD’s Katie in the Single Ladies Class 1 Freestyle and the team from SportsAble’s Group Freestyle.

Paula said “We’re super proud of our dancers some who have only been learning for 6-7 weeks to have had the courage to get on the floor and take part in their first competition.  To see the emotion on their faces when their results were called was amazing!  It just goes to show what wheelchair dance can do for people and we hope more people can come and join us to learn.”

Full photos from the competition are on our Facebook page.

If you are interested in learning to wheelchair dance our classes take place in Manchester each week.  Everyone is welcome no matter what your background or experience.

This Saturday 11^th November 2017 sees the UK Wheelchair Dance Championship in Ware.

We took time out to speak to Strictly Wheels club members, Lloyd and Goz, about their preparation for the competition.

You’re about to compete in the UK Wheelchair Dance Sport Championship; how do you feel about it?

Goz – I was a little worried as we were still working on a new routine only last week, but in the last few days it’s come together.  Now I am excited about competing in the UK National Championships and also I don’t want to mess up because I have a few friends coming from all over the country to watch us dance!

Lloyd – It’s our 2^nd time competing in the UK Wheelchair Dance Championships, so on some level we kind of know what to expect event wise. We’re going back as reigning UK National Champions in Debutante Combi and whilst still not perfect our dancing is definitely stronger than last year.  My heel leads are all in the right place and I am even starting to master the “toe lower” in ballroom dances.  As with every competition, we don’t know who’s going to be there competing against us, but hopefully we are technically stronger.

In the UK Championships where would you like to be placed, what would make you happy?

Goz – I know it’s about taking part and I am the quieter one in the partnership with Lloyd but deep down, I do want to win and retain the title. So, we have to come first place. We have to win!!

It’s also my first time doing Debutante Single Ladies so I will be happy with any result as long as I perform well.

Lloyd – As the returning champions I am going into the competition wanting to win again and retain that title! Winning would make me happy as I feel we would have shown development and hopefully show we are ready to progress from Debutante level. But equally taking my competitive hat off, I would be happy knowing we danced our socks off with 3 solid routines to be proud of!

What kind of preparation goes into a competition?

Goz – We practice every week for two hours at the club.  Outside of our lessons Lloyd and I practice whenever we can mostly at lunchtime at work.  We’ve even been known to practice in corridors!

Lloyd – I would literally describe preparation for a competition as blood, sweat and tears.  We have weekly classes, but leading up to a competition Goz and I practice daily during our lunch hour working on things such as posture and our hold. This also helps stamina and gets us used to dancing to different music and recognising the beat in the music. There’s also the glam side of things coordinating our outfits and going shopping for those all-important accessories. We literally think of everything from footwork to appearance.

How important is Wheelchair dance to you?

Goz – To be honest I never thought dance would be part of my life. And when I first tried it some years ago, I absolutely hated it.  It wasn’t until I found a partner that really understood dance, and enjoyed dancing that I started to appreciate and enjoy it a lot more. Even if my partner decided to give up, I would still continue to dance. I enjoy meeting new people and learning new skills even though I might complain about it sometimes! Most of all I love competing and hope one day to compete in the IPC World Championships and represent Team GB at that level.

Lloyd – Over the past year it’s grown to be an important part of my life, and I am so pleased Goz asked me to be her partner.  When I was younger I tried ballroom and Latin and used to compete in Disco dance. I am also an avid fan of “Strictly”, so dance is a big passion of mine.  Never in a million years did I think I would be competing for my country in sport both Nationally and Internationally. It’s so rewarding – I have met lots of new friends, learnt a lot about myself but most importantly my friendship with Goz has become stronger.  We hope to progress and dance at Amateur level and top level in the future.

Would you recommend taking part in Wheelchair Dance?

Goz – Yes! I am constantly trying to persuade people to join the club, and experience the benefits of wheelchair dance! So, yes!

Lloyd –  I love dancing and would encourage anyone to just do it, but if you want to push yourself and do something different, then definitely try wheelchair dance!  You can do it socially and it’s a great way to meet new friends and help understand disability issues. You can also push and challenge yourself and compete both nationally and internationally. It’s opened doors for me that I never thought were possible. It’s definitely a hobby that can turn into a passion and that’s the great thing about wheelchair dance

Follow us on Social Media for updates live from the competition on Saturday.

If you want to try Wheelchair Dancing, then why not pop along to one of our FREE classes!

It’s just 3 weeks to the Para Dance Sport World Championship 2017 which takes place in Malle, Belgium on 21^st-22^nd October.

We took time out to speak to Team GB competitors, Paula Moulton and Gary Lyness about their preparation for a major competition.

You’re about to compete in a Para Dance Sport World Championship for the first time; how do you feel about it?

Paula: I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to compete at the World Championships. It will be fantastic to meet all the other competitors from round the world and get to compete with them. Yes, I’m nervous, but I equally excited.

Gary: It’s a fantastic feeling and very proud moment to represent your country at this level in a World Championship.  We compete mostly against European couples throughout the year, so it will be great to see the rest of the world in action too.

Who do you say are your main competitors in the upcoming competition?

Paula: I would say our main competition is Germany and some of the competitors from Asia. We will meet competitors who we have never even seen dance before so there is a big unknown element to the event.

Gary: I would agree, we have been placing consistently behind Germany for the last year, also Finland we’ve placed ahead and behind in 2017.

In the Para Dance Sport World Championship 2017, where would you like to be placed, what would make you happy?

Paula: Of course, we would love to win, however, we are also realistic.  There is the unknown as to who you will be competing against. For me, in Latin it

would be great to finish in the top ten and in Freestyle the top 6.

Gary: We’re dancing in Combi Latin and Freestyle.  This will be our first major competition doing Freestyle, so we’ve worked with our trainer to revamp our current routine which placed 4^th in the Mainhatten Cup in June, so it would be great to equal or better that.  It would be amazing to make the final in Latin, but realistically, I’d be happy with semi-final places as we’re just starting to up our game in this with our new trainer.

What kind of preparation goes into a competition?

Paula: We have been preparing for the last few months working on choreography, now we are stamina training and ensuring that our lines are correct and that moves are tight, sharp and defined.  Oh, and don’t forget all that tanning and hair and nails that must be done the week of the competition!  You have to look the part as well as dance it.

Gary: It’s been a transitional year for us, with a new classification and then changing classification again part way through the year.  We’ve also not had a trainer for 3 years, so we’ve missed a lot of development while we’ve been competing at top level.  We’ve now begun working with Accursio Romeo, travelling to Milton Keynes for sessions at least once a month.  Having spent the first part of the year working on choreography, we’ve only just begun to work on improving technique.  For now, the focus is on stamina over the next 2 weeks to ensure we can perform our routines multiple times in a short space of time.

How different if any is it competing at the Para Dance Sport World Championship 2017 than any other international competition?

Paula:  A World Championship is a much more formal and prestigious event.  Things like the opening ceremony that happen at other competitions is much more formal with the raising of official IPC flag and athlete and trainer declarations, just like at the Paralympics.

At an event like the Worlds it’s also the knowing you truly are competing against the best of the best

Gary: It gives you an enormous pride to be representing your country at World Level.  As the official World Championships, there is the prestige in the placings and rankings.  We’d like to thank the UK Governing Body, WDSA (UK) for supporting us to enable us to compete and make sure GB is on the world stage for Para Dance Sport.

The event will be streamed live on the World Para Dance Sport website.

The Strictly Launch Show 2017 was a resounding success if the ratings were anything to go by.

Not just for the heartfelt and sincere tribute to the late Sir Bruce Forsythe, but for the excitement and build-up of which professionals the celebs will be partnered with.

We were watching eagle eyed though at the first group dance to get a glimpse of the celebs in action and make some early predictions on who to watch out for.

There are some great pairings, good matches we think with Charlotte Hawkins and Brendan Cole – he’s always had a good thing with the slightly more mature ladies! along with Ruth Langsford and Anton du Beke – she’ll hopefully do well in the ballroom in his safe arms.

It will be interesting to see how the more characterful celebs get on with the likes of Rev Richard Coles, Brian Conley, Chizzy Akudulo and Susan Calman.

We’ll be looking forward to the paring of Paralympian Jonnie Peacock with the fabulous Oti Mabuse – some of Oti’s routines last year with Danny Mac were the highlight of the season, notably that raunchy animalistic samba!  Jonnie did seem a bit stiff in his upper body in the opener, but we’ve seen sports people before who suddenly lose that stiffness which has been drilled into them once they give in and let their inhibitions go.  Fingers crossed his fast legs will be a positive for him.  We’ll be keen to see what prosthetic Jonnie chooses to use depending on whether he’s doing ballroom or latin – we’ve seen how People’s Strictly winner Cassidy Little used a blade to dance Paso to give him more flexibility of movement.

So who are the ones to watch?

It usually falls to the more younger celebs, but we think there might be some dark horses in there.

Watching the opening group dance, certainly the likes of Aston Merrygold, Gemma Atkinson and Mollie King will likely be up there.

Dark horses for us could be the likes of Alexandra Burke, Joe McFadden – he was certainly giving it his all, and Simon Rimmer could turn out to be a good player on the ballroom front along with Davood Ghadami who was enthusiastic but very flat footed in the group dance.  Debbie McGee with her dance background could surface as well – she’s certainly got the performance and sparkle about her.

We’ll just have to wait a few weeks to get the full picture as they tackle their first dances!

It’s that time of year when the Strictly line up 2017 has been announced!

We’ve been getting drip fed celebs for the last few weeks, but we’re finally there with the full line up of 15 celebrities who are ready to step on to the dancefloor.

The range of celebs this year is again wide, from soap starts to sports stars, though there’s less emphasis on the sporting greats this year, who’ve usually been hot contenders.

One to watch for us is certainly going to be Jonnie Peacock – Paralympian T44 100m gold medallist legend.  It’s great to see a Paralympian make the main show, but he’s not the first on the Strictly dance floor.

We’ve seen Paralympians grace the floor in a one-off Sports Relief episode in 2014 with blind footballer David Clark, wheelchair racer Hannah Cockcroft, former World Champion javelin thrower Nathan Stephens and sitting volleyball player Martine Wright.  It was great then to see wheelchair dancers and indeed Hannah Cockcroft took the glitterball on that occasion.

We also had People’s Champion Strictly when Cassidy Little, took the crown – a below the knee amputee just like Jonnie, so does this bode well?  We’ll have to wait and see.

It will be interesting to see if Jonnie learns from Cassidy’s story and uses a blade rather than a prosthetic leg for dancing, or a mix depending on the discipline – ballroom or latin.  We’d suspect a prosthetic leg might work better in ballroom while a blade would allow more bounce and action in latin.

We’ll be following closely after the reveal show, but for now, here are a few of our favourites to watch out for.

Alexandra Burke – no stranger to dancing given her pop and musical stage career.

Debbie McGee – a child ballet dancer before starring alongside her late husband, magician Paul Daniels.

Aston Merrygold – pop idol used to popping his moves on the concert stage.

We’ll also be watching to see how ballroom legend Shirley Ballas falls into place in her new role as head judge, replacing Len Goodman.

Last weekend 17^th-18^th June 2017 saw a team from Great Britain travel to Frankfurt for the Mainhatten Cup 2017, Wheelchair Dance Sport Competition.

The team was made up of Para Dance Sport Team GB competitors, Gary Lyness and Paula Moulton along with 4 members of Strictly Wheels club who competed in the Debutante section.

This was the first international competition for the Strictly Wheels debutantes so it was a nervous outing for the pairs, even with UK National titles under their belts.

The weekend kicked off with WPDS Freestyle Singles and Combi events.

Following re-classification back into Class 2, Paula and Gary took to the floor in the Combi Freestyle 2 event against 8 couples.  They danced an extended version of their popular routine from their Britain’s Got Talent audition.

The judges this time were not as fearsome as Simon Cowell, but still as appreciative of the routine with the couple placing 4^th overall.  The event was clinched by the current European Champions from Poland, Marek Zaborowski and Kasia Bloch who have dominated freestyle combi for the last year with their compelling contemporary routine.

All the Debutante couples danced on Saturday afternoon.  Competing both for Great Britain and against each other, Lloyd and Goz, Oscar and Patricia took to the floor for the Debutante Combi 1 event.  After a nervous first round, then soon settled down and danced a great final with beaming smiles that warmed the audience watching.

Current UK Champions, Lloyd and Goz were pipped to the post by Germany and Austria taking Bronze for GB with Oscar and Patricia closely behind in 4^th place.

A quick partner swap and Oscar and Goz were in the Debutante Duo 1 final, dancing so well they were in a tie for 1^st place against the strong Austrian team who just clinched the Gold on points leaving GB with Silver Medal.

Paula said “We’re so proud of our dancers in their first major competition, they danced well and most importantly enjoyed themselves on the dance floor.  They’re now feeling inspired to push on and keep dancing and compete more for Great Britain”.

Sunday was the day for Conventional Singles and Latin.  Poland’s Kasia Bloch continued her flurry of Golds taking the Single Ladies 2 title against a strong field of over 10 dancers.

Gary and Paula danced for Team GB in the Latin Combi 2 event with 8 couples on the floor.  They danced confidently through the first round and heat and were extremely pleased to make the final placing 6^th.  Top spots went again to the polish couple of Marek and Kasia with a bronze to one of the home couples from Germany, Stefan and Vanessa.

Gary said “We weren’t sure if we would make the final given the strong competition, especially from the Asian region.  Winning over couples from Hong Kong and Japan to make the final is a great result for us.  We have a new trainer this year, Accursio Romeo, so we have new choreography which is always a challenge, so we’re really pleased to get this result early on. We now start the hard work with Accursio to hone technique and presentation in preparation for the World Championships in Belgium in October”.

Full results and round up are on the World Para Dance Sport website.

Photos from the weekend are on our Facebook page!

More than 150 dancers from over 10 countries gathered in The Netherlands for the Dutch Open and Cuijk Para Dance Sport Championship 2017 last weekend.

Cuijk, now in its 29^th year, is the largest wheelchair dance competition in the world.  Competitors at all levels from Debutante to Amateur and Para Dance Sport athletes come together to enjoy 2 full days of dancing.

This year, given the popularity of the new Singles and Freestyle events saw the competition stretch to a 3^rd afternoon, with these new events taking place on Friday.

Singles and Freestyle

Great Britain’s Paula Moulton took to the floor in the Single Ladies 1 event, dancing 5 dances with grace, elegance and power to take 4^th place behind Ukraine and Poland’s best.

Friday afternoon also saw the Single Men battling it out on the floor with a welcome return from Ukraine’s Ivan Sivak stealing the Gold from Poland’s Pawel Karpinski with some spectacular moves.

The Freestyle event gave equally great performances from the reigning European Champions in both Ladies Single Freestyle 2 and Combi Freestyle 2 with Olena Chynka’s performance to Bjork “It’s oh so quiet” taking gold.  The Combi Freestyle 2 Gold was taken by the powerful contemporary dance by Poland’s Marek Zaborowski and Kasia Bloch.

Latin and Standard

The main Latin and Ballroom events took place over Saturday and Sunday.  Large numbers of Debutantes and Amateur level dancers danced their way through heats and finals to make their mark on the adjudicators.

Great Britain’s Latin Combi couple made their appearance on Sunday afternoon in the World Para Dance Sport Finals.  Gary and Paula from Strictly Wheels club, having been reclassified danced in Latin Combi 1 for the first time.  They danced confidently, but were beaten to Gold by Finland’s Timo Pyykkonen and Tuuli Harju, taking the Silver Medal for Great Britain.

Photos from the competition are on our Facebook page.

Next Competition

Gary and Paula are now looking forward to their next competition in Denmark at the start of June followed by the World Para Dance Sport Mainhatten Cup in Germany 2 weeks later.

We’re pleased to announce Roma Sport, the UKs leading sports wheelchair manufacturer, have partnered with Strictly Wheels to bring a new range of dance wheelchairs to the UK.

Roma already supply sports wheelchairs to Rugby and Basketball at all levels.

Range of Dance Wheelchairs

The range will include a basic club dance wheelchair for beginners and amateur level through to custom and top of the range Elite wheelchairs.

Roma said “It is with great enthusiasm that we announce our entry into wheelchair dance thanks to Paula Moulton and Gary Lyness of Strictly Wheels! As the UK’s top wheelchair dance couple, their expertise is vital in developing a chair fit for taking centre stage.

Working with Britain’s best is an incredible opportunity for us to expand our product range to include wheelchair dance, a sport that everyone can enjoy. Their expertise and direction during the process of designing a chair for Paula have resulted in a great partnership and, we look forward to making a success of the sport with them in the future!”

Roma have sponsored Gary and Paula with a brand new, fully custom built chair for top level competitive Para Dance Sport.

Paula says, “Working with Roma Sport has opened up a new realm of possibilities for me. The fitting process and knowledge of the staff have made it a collaborative experience. From the first fit, they have listened to, rather than told me what I need.”

“The technology of the measuring system is revolutionary, finding the optimal fit catered specifically to my needs. I’m already able to do turns that I was told would not be possible due to the nature of my disability. Having a bespoke chair has given me the freedom of movement and the ability to take dance further. I cannot wait to compete in it!”

Paula’s bespoke chair will be making it’s first appearance at MoveIt!

Club Dance Wheelchair

Gary added “It’s fantastic now to be able to have an entry level wheelchair suitable for dancing that will be affordable.  Currently the only real option has been a bespoke chair which is very expensive for anyone starting out or just dancing socially.  This will hopefully make wheelchair dance more accessible to more people in the UK.”

The new range of entry level club chairs will be available in 3 sizes and will be available directly from Roma very soon.

Roma manufacture everything on site here in the UK, so it’s a truly Made in the UK wheelchair which makes it faster to produce both club chairs and custom and elite bespoke chairs.

They have a pioneering Contour Body Mapping measuring system for the ultimate fit.

Strictly Week 1 either sees dancers explode through and show us all that they have the flair, discipline and control to learn the many dances thrown at them over the coming weeks, and for others to demonstrate glimmers of technique that will grow and take over from the personalities to win through or simply those that aren’t natural dancers and no amount of training will get them there!

We definitely saw many dancers this year explode onto the floor for their first time with exceptional performances.

Latin was the star of the first week.  Gregg, an athlete; who sometimes struggle to let their highly trained bodies and muscles go and allow dance to take over, nailed his first dance with personality and the starting signs of gaining technique.  Others to shine were Danny who certainly fired up the floor with the snap needed in cha-cha – just loosen up the ankles and he’ll go even further.  Louise unsurprisingly pulled off a great jive with personality and flair with good kicks and flicks; it will be interesting to see her in other dances.

Middle of the pack was that very memorable performance from Judge Rinder!  Who knew what lay beneath those robes!?  There is rhythm there and bags of personality, it just all needs taming and reining in and he’ll survive for several more weeks.  Melvin’s loco fell flat unfortunately but he has character to keep him in.

There’s always high expectation on gymnasts even though the skills are very different, however, take away Claudia’s back flips and split leaps and she needs to let go and let the rhythm take control, similarly Anastacia showed some promise but lacked the attack she shows in her own stage performances.

Tameka showed promise with a first Paso carried through with her acting skills but not sure how she will excel in other dances.  Laura failed to deliver other than in personality with very loose legs and control for her cha-cha.

Ballroom didn’t fair too badly either, particularly with the waltzes where you can’t rely on energy and persona to carry it off.  It was nice to give the more senior celebs the waltz in week 1 to ease them in with Ed giving a sure and steady performance but Lesley certainly needed Anton to lead and guide her around the floor.

Daisy showed great promise with her emotional waltz full of control and nice extensions.  Will Young (apart from showing off his strange wardrobe of shorts in his VT), gave a great tango with good character, the steps are all there and if he learns to add more control to every inch of his limbs he’ll go far.

Naga gave a solid performance and shows promise with good lines and extension, there is a glimmer there that she might shine, particularly in ballroom, there’s a reminiscence of Susannah Reid there.  Ore unfortunately lacked the drive and attack needed for tango but might fare better in some of the freer Latin dances.

So we’ve a very mixed bag again this year!  There are those who obviously have the talent and ability to dance and the few who won’t make it.  We prefer though to see those middle of the road dancers get to grips with steps over the coming weeks and start to excel and they are usually the dark horses to keep your eye on.

Predictions after week one?  We’ll keep those under our hats just now until we’ve seen the celebs tackle another dance in the other discipline of ballroom or Latin!

All photo credits BBC1 Strictly Come Dancing/Facebook.

Whether local or national, rail is a simple way to get from A to B without the stress of driving or flying and like all other travel it’s best if you do some preparation before your journey (but much less than flying!).  Here’s our tips on Wheelchair train travel.

Cost

Rail travel in the UK can be relatively inexpensive by combing offers and the use of rail cards. For example, the Disabled Adult Railcard firstly gives you a discount, and then allows for a second person to travel at the same rate.    This discount is currently 1/3 off. Booking online is easiest to get the best available fares and pick up tickets at the station.

If you are a wheelchair user and stay in your own chair for the journey you automatically qualify for a discount without having a railcard, but this is only on Anytime fares (these are the highest fares) and only available in person at the station.  So it is worth buying a Railcard if you travel more than 3-4 times a year.

Non Railcard Discounts available on adult Anytime fares*

First Class / Standard Single or Day Single or Return         34%

First Class / Standard Day Return                                             50%

*Sometimes it may be cheaper to buy an undiscounted Off-peak or Advance ticket.

*Correct at August 2016

Booking Assistance

Assistance can be arranged from the taxi rank to the train in one phone call, and at your destination they will make sure you are taken to the appropriate pickup point in the station.  Assistance, in theory, can be arranged for nearly every manned station and some unmanned stations within the UK, but in some rural stations the support can be more hit and miss.

If you are buying your tickets with Virgin Trains you can simply phone the Assistance Team direct and purchase your ticket and book assistance in one step.  With other companies, buy your ticket online and then phone and book assistance from the relevant train company’s Assistance Team.

What you need to know

They will ask you a series of questions such as how you plan to arrive and leave the station?  If you need assistance from the taxi rank/drop off point?  Will you need the ramp to board the train?  Will you be travelling in your wheelchair?  That’s really it.

When you arrive at the station you either meet the staff at the designated spot of make yourself known to a member of staff and they will make sure you get on the train.

On the train

It’s always useful to get the train manger to phone ahead to your destination station to make sure that they know you are coming.  Mistakes do happen so it’s also useful to have a mobile phone on you. The accessible wheelchair spaces on the trains are usually by the accessible bathrooms.  These bathrooms are usually snug, not as tight as on a plane but certainly not big enough for a hoist or someone to be easily able to assist you, so plan ahead.  You can however easily get an average manual or power chair in.

Refreshments – bring your own unless you know there is a trolley service or you are travelling with a companion.  The buffet car can be far away and the aisles are not wheelchair accessible for you to get down the train.  Some train managers will be helpful enough and go for you.

Equipment

You can travel in manual, or most power wheelchairs or with most walking aids/frames.  It’s best to check with individual train companies about Scooters as they vary in size and don’t always fit in the wheelchair space or can be too big/heavy for the ramps.

Who you going to call?

Booking Assistance – Book online with Virgin or for all companies

Phone numbers for the train companies can be found here.