Chinese Taipei to host Asia’s first Para dance course

Applications for interested participants now open 01 Aug 2018
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Group of Para dancers and instructors pose for a photo
El primer curso introductorio de Para danza deportiva en Estados Unidos fue importante para el deporte
ⒸSivakmar Gulasingam
By IPC

World Para Dance Sport continues to grow around the world, as Chinese Taipei is announced as the host of Asia’s first introductory course from 3-4 October.

Applications are now being accepted for coaches and dancers looking to grow their skills in practicing and teaching Para dance sport.

The announcement comes off the back of a successful session held in June in Bloomfield, Michigan, where Fred Astaire Dance Studio hosted 25 instructors across the USA to teach the basics of the sport – from working with dancers in wheelchairs to learning about classification.

The event drew national media attention, with outlets such as the New York Times picking up the story.

Camila Rodrigues, World Para Dance Sport Manager, said: “I was encouraged by the enthusiasm and excitement generated from the introductory course in the USA, a country where the sport is developing. I am confident that our collaboration with the Chinese Taipei Wheelchair Dance Sport Association will generate a similar atmosphere in the Asian region.

“In addition to the nations strong in Para dance sport we also hope to see participants from new countries join the introductory course. It is the first step to encourage more nations to compete in events, enrich the cultural diversity and increase the standard of Para dance in the region.”

Chinese Taipei has a tradition of breaking new ground for Para dance sport after hosting the inaugural regional Championships in 2016, drawing 50 dancers from five countries.

It has since staged two consecutive editions of the Beigang Para Dance Sport Open, with the third to be held following the course in October. It will allow participants to test their new-found knowledge.

The deadline to submit applications is 4 September, with 20 slots available.

Mexico’s Maricarmen Legaspi, a member of the Para Dance Sport Technical Committee, will lead the course in Chinese Taipei.

For more information on the introductory course in Yunlin County, Chinese Taipei, visit World Para Dance Sport’s website.