Residents dazzle judges in 5th Anniversary of pan disability competition Dance Westminster

This week, 10 people with disabilities performed in the Dance Westminster final held at Porchester Hall. Westminster City Council, in partnership with award-winning dance company Step Change Studios, is proud to celebrate five years of the inclusive dance competition.

Dance Westminster aims to dismantle barriers to accessible dance and encourage more disabled residents in our communities to be active.

The Strictly-esque initiative provides free dance workshops where participants can learn an exciting new routine. This year, we saw 100 disabled people take part in the workshops.

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Auditions then took place to search for the 10 stars who would compete for the various trophies up for grabs at the finale. Judged by our three fabulous celebrity judges (Wayne Sleep OBE, Angela Rippon CBE and Kai Widdrington), finalists showed off their impressive dance moves in front of over 230 audience members.

Ages of the finalists ranged from 13 to 84-years-old and included people who have dementia, autism, varying mobility needs, and sight loss. A variety of dance styles was represented including Latin, Bollywood, Ballroom, Hip Hop and Highlife.

After an incredible showcase of talent, the winner of this year’s Dance Westminster was Guy Lansquiot (57), who has a learning disability. Guy, and professional dance partner Georgia, received a perfect score of 10 from each judge for his energetic Latin style dance to Buckcherry’s “Let’s Get Wild”.

Guy said:

"I wasn’t expect(ing) that. I did my best you know, dancing for the past three or four years at Moberly (Sports Centre). I was a little bit nervous. When all the tens came out from the judges I was surprised, and I didn’t realise they (had) call(ed) out my name for that.”

The Audience Choice was awarded to Jacob Hassan (83), who has dementia and uses a walking frame.

Jacob said:

"It’s infectious. I love dancing. Ever since I was a kid the same thing happened. At home we had gurus that come together, but the best people to learn dancing from are the kids. They have all sort of style.”

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Rashmi Becker MBE, Founder of Step Change Studios said:

"The 5th Dance Westminster initiative is a significant milestone. We created this initiative to support disabled people to be active. One in five adults in our community are inactive but disabled people face unnecessary barriers. We wanted to provide an inclusive, fun opportunity for disabled people to access dance and achieve their potential."

"This was not just a competition. Dance Westminster has provided additional opportunities through a weekly inclusive dance class, and finalists have performed at numerous events including the Paralympic torch lighting ceremony in Stoke Mandeville. It has been rewarding to see people realise their potential, and this year’s dancers have moved people to tears of joy."

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Cllr Nafsika Butler-Thalassis, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Voluntary Sector said:

"It’s fantastic to see Dance Westminster commemorating its 5th year of championing accessibility to dance. The event is an amazing opportunity to celebrate the talents of residents with disabilities and to help dismantle the barriers that may exclude them from participating in these activities.”

“It was particularly motivating to see so many community members come along and share their excitement during the finale. We look forward to continuing to promote inclusivity and celebrate the achievements of those in Westminster.”