Wheelchair dancing is something many people have never seen before.
Iris Kulbatski founded Wheel Dance in 2013. The idea started out as a project at a physiotherapy clinic.
“My background is in spinal cord regeneration research so by training I’m a scientist and I’ve been a social dancer for many years as well. So I think at some point the two worlds came together and I thought this is something I would like to bring to this community.”
Kulbatski says that research is fantastic but it usually takes a long time before you can come out with something that is of direct benefit. This is something she thought would benefit people almost immediately.
As far as therapeutic benefits go Kulbatski says no research studies have been done quite yet. But she would love to have some done in the future.
She says the feedback from participants has been very positive and everyone says it’s great exercise.
“There are physical benefits, emotional benefits, social benefits and psychological benefits,” says Kulbatski.
Kulbatski says that this program is so important to run because there is something about dance that can come off as elitist. She said along with making dance accessible they also wanted to eliminate economic and social barriers that often come with dance.
“I think those are all really important messages to get across, that dance is for everybody no matter if they’ve got a physical disability,” Kulbatski says.
In 2014 Wheel Dance applied for a grant in conjunction with the Victoria Ballet Academy, where they hold their classes. They received funding and will be able to hold classes at the Vaughan studio for the next three years.
Although costs are subsidized the dancers pay $5 per class and sometimes they even get two classes for $5! Kulbatski says this makes dance accessible both economically and physically.
Wheel Dance has performed at many locations including the Pan Am and Parapan games, the Harbourfront Centre and the Mississauga Living Arts Centre.
They have not done any competitions yet but the advanced class has their sights set high. Kulbatski says they are a national organization and their goal is “to be the governing body for wheelchair dance support in Canada and to organize competitions for Canadians that are interested in dancing competitively.”
Kulbatski says it is a really rewarding experience and finds the volunteers really get joy out of it as well.
Featured above are dance partners Nancy Clarke and Chen Levy
Levy is has been volunteering with Wheel Dance for around one year and says he is “very happy to volunteer and participate in the community.”
Also around one year ago, Levy moved to Canada from Israel. He says his Wheel Dance family are some of the only people he knows in Canada so it really is great community for him.
Levy volunteers at the Vaughan location of Wheel Dance once a week and also at their Toronto location which just opened up. Surprisingly enough, Levy is a mechanic and has no formal dance experience.
“I can’t say that I’m a very good dancer but I have a few moves now, after a year!”
His partner would say he is being too modest. Clarke has been dancing with the company since last fall and Levy has been her partner ever since.
When Clarke talked about Levy’s dancing she smiled saying, “he’s good! We have fun together … he’s really methodical.”
Clarke has around seven years of dance experience and says she not only participates in the class but sometimes she helps teach. She helps the dancers get the moves down and shows them how to properly maneuver their chairs.
Overall Clarke says, “it’s great for your posture and well being … the music is fun and it gets you moving and the joints limbered up.”