Wheelchair Dance Sport Association (UK)

Over the next year we will update this section of the website with all the grade levels of competing couples in the UK and where they are within the grades from Debutante to International Couples.

For couples to go up a level their Start Book must be signed and couples will also gain points for each placing from 2 – 6 or for 1st place you lose one of your 4 lives. Lose all four lives or reach 400 points and you move up a rank. This applies to each Rank i.e. Debutante, Amateur etc.

For Couples to be classed as Championship or International Competitors they MUST be appointed by the UK National Governing Body to compete in either Grade.

We also would like to confirm that as of the 1st October 2012 any WDSA (UK) Instructor who will be competing will automatically be ranked to dance at Amateur level.

This table will change as more couple compete and may change partners.

Please remember that you need to have your Start Book with you at all times and also ensure the Start Book is signed at each official recognised competition.

Last updated October 2012

Rank of Competitors (opens in another page).

 The WDSA (UK) in Europe use the rank as follows:

Debutante – beginners or those who have yet to win any, or be placed in any competitions.

Amateur – those who have won 4 competitions and, therefore, lost their 4 lives or those who have gained their 400 points to move up from Debutante.

Head Class – Seems to be, a now defunct, class, but was always used for any Instructor who was competing with any student or competitor. However, this was added to our list of classes after receiving several complaints, last year, regarding one of the GB couples, as it was an Instructor dancing with a debutante person, for the 2nd or 3rd time, without any progression up to Amateur. On investigation we found that all Instructors should START their competitive dancing at No Less than Amateur.

World Class – Those who have progressed up through the ranks at approved events that have this section and have, for that section, IPC governing rules and regulations. It should be noted that in Open, and non IPC governed events, this section may be achieved much sooner than if competing at IPC sanctioned and governed events.

The other two classes i.e. National Class and International Class are used mainly in the UK in order for us to, if asked by a country to field a team of National Champions or in the case of group dance events where the team may be made up of different classes.