On Aug. 10 and 11, three wheelchair ballroom dancers from the Madison area traveled to Michigan to compete in the United States’ first sanctioned World Para Dance Sport wheelchair ballroom dance competition on Aug. 10 and 11.
The Dearborn 2024 Para Dance Sport USA Open created an opportunity for wheelchair users to compete, with about 80 dancers from over 20 countries participating in the competition.
Dancers performed individually, in pairs or in a team, with choreography that incorporated elements of hip-hop, Latin style dances and rumba. Competition judges score routines based on synchronization, timing, choreography and expression.
Madisonian and founder of Wheels & Heels (an organization working to provide adaptive dance instruction for individuals with disabilities) Martha Siravo made her international debut in the competition. Her solo routine was set to “VIVIR ASI ES MORIR DE AMOR” by Nathy Peluso, an emotionally charged song that challenged Siravo as a dancer.
“I don’t speak Spanish so I had to interpret and understand what my expression needed to be during the routine and it made me connect with it in a unique way,” Siravo says.
In addition to rehearsing her solo at home and in the studio, Siravo also performed it at several community performances. While Siravo came into the competition as a strong competitor with polished routines,…
