MEDIA RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
First Canadian Wheelchair Dancesport Competition at the Ontario Open Championships on October 22, 2016
Toronto, ON – Wheel Dance is thrilled to announce its collaboration with Ontario DanceSport and Canada DanceSport for the first Canadian Wheelchair DanceSport Competition at the Ontario Open Championships. This inaugural event, which will take place on October 22, 2016 at the Thornhill Community Centre (7755 Bayview Avenue, Thornhill), will feature the excitement and beauty of wheelchair ballroom and Latin dance sportsmanship and entertainment.
The Ontario Open Championships are a full day and evening of amateur DanceSport competitions. Wheelchair DanceSport events are scheduled between 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and will include competitive Wheelchair DanceSport as well as showcase performances by participants from Canada, U.S.A., and Mexico. The first-ever event of its kind in Canada marks the culmination of 2 years of training by local Wheel Dancers, and the establishment of Wheel Dance as an Associate Member of Canada DanceSport. As the sole nationally recognized body for competitive Wheelchair DanceSport, Wheel Dance provides the only pathway for Canadian athletes to compete at future Paralympic-level Wheelchair DanceSport events.
Wheel Dance invites the media and public to attend the October 22nd competition and follow the excitement as competitive Wheelchair DanceSport comes to Canada!
Dr. Iris Kulbatski, Founder and Executive Director of Wheel Dance says: “The October 22nd competition marks a major milestone for both Wheel Dance and Wheelchair DanceSport in Canada as a whole. Wheel Dance is proud to be training dancers, instructors and classifiers, as well as organizing competitions and workshops, thereby building the infrastructure and governance of the sport from the ground up.”
Wheel Dance will also be recognizing the ongoing and generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation on October 22nd, for Wheel Dance’s York Region activities. Since 2014, with a collaborative three-year, $271,200 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Wheel Dance has been running classes for the York Region community at Victoria Ballet Company’s studio space.
Additional information about Wheel Dance’s activities are available by visiting Wheel Dance’s website and Facebook page at: www.wheeldance.ca and www.facebook.com/wheeldance.
Contact: Dr. Iris Kulbatski
Executive Director, Wheel Dance
Tel: 647-297-3198
wheeldance@outlook.com
www.facebook.com/wheeldance
www.wheeldance.ca
About Wheel Dance
Wheel Dance is a federally incorporated Canadian non-profit that provides subsidized social and competitive wheelchair ballroom and Latin dance classes to wheelchair users and their friends, family, and community members. As an Associate Member of Canada DanceSport, Wheel Dance is the National body for Wheelchair DanceSport in Canada recognized by Canada DanceSport and the World DanceSport Federation. Wheel Dance is also an official Partner of ParaSport® Ontario.
About the Ontario Trillium Foundation
A leading grantmaker in Canada, the OTF strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities. For more information, please contact: www.otf.ca
About Ontario DanceSport
Ontario DanceSport (ODS) is a non-profit Canadian organization dedicated to the promotion of competitive DanceSport among Canadian dancers of all age categories in Ontario and as well as the rest of Canada. Our mission is to increase awareness of and participation in DanceSport in Ontario, Canada, and worldwide. ODS runs three major competitions every year- the Ontario Open (held in the fall), the Ontario Closed (in the winter), which is the provincial championships, and Champions of Tomorrow (held in late spring).
About Canada DanceSport
Canada DanceSport (CDS) is a non-profit Canadian organization and the only official body that regulates DanceSport throughout Canada. It is recognized by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and is a member of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF). CDS has 4 Regional member Associations- DanceSport BC (DSBC), DanceSport Alberta (DSAB) Ontario DanceSport (ODS), DanceSport Quebec (DSQ), a Professional Division (CDS-PD), and an Associate member – Wheel Dance. CDS provides rules for all DanceSport activities of its member associations, publishes and disseminates information concerning DanceSport, recognizes competitions held by its members in Canada, and sends athletes to WDSF World Championships, WDSF World Cups, and WDSF recognized competitions.