International Paralympic Committee - Dance Sport World Cup 2016 St Petersburg Russia

September is an exciting month for the dance industry. Why? Well, aside from the start of a brand new school year, this time of year marks the return of the Dance Sport World Cup, which we couldn’t be more excited about! What is the Dance Sport World Cup? On September 7th - 12th, wheelchair dancers from around the world will flock to St Petersburg in Russia to take part in a huge dance competition. Over 100 dancers from twenty different countries will take part, making 2016 one of the largest entries for the new freelance sectors of the competition. The wheelchair dancers will compete in the wheelchair dancing section of the competition, with the usual standard and Latin sections remaining the same.

What is wheelchair dancing?

Wheelchair dancing is growing in popularity, with more and more people finding out about it. The sport welcomes ‘athletes with a physical disability which affects the lower limbs’. In 1998, Wheelchair Dance Sport became an International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Championship Sport. There are two categories in this sport, Class 1 for people with severe disabilities, and Class 2 for people whose disabilities are not as severe. Wheelchair dancing can be enjoyed solo or with a partner. There are two different types of competition, including one where both dancers are in a wheelchair and another where a wheelchair user’s partner is not disabled. The latter is becoming more popular in recent years. Galina Ryzhkova has absolutely dominated the dance floor over previous years. In 2014, she bagged every single gold medal on offer in the singles categories, and her success didn't stop there. Ryzhkova claimed double gold in 2015, one of which was with her partner Viacheslav Osipov in combi Latin class 2. But will she be able to hold on to her winning titles? We'll see! Check out Galina's incredible 2014 performance below!