Can blind dancers take part in para dance sport?
A · Advanced · Dancing and judging · 3 of 3Dancers registered as visually impaired in their country compete in combi standard, combi Latin and combi freestyle with a standing partner. They must wear an eye mask that lets in no light, checked by the chairperson. There are also two pilot groups: ambulant dancers in singles freestyle and dancers with an intellectual impairment, who dance three dances.
How it works
- VI dancers: registered nationally.
- Form: medical diagnosis.
- Events: combi standard, Latin, freestyle.
- Eye mask: no light.
- Mask inspection: by the chairperson.
- Freestyle entry: 15,000 points.
- Ambulant pilot: singles freestyle.
- Intellectual impairment pilot: three dances.
The glossary has the visually impaired dancers, the pilot events, the partners, the freestyle admission, the bars per minute and the combi.
Tricky cases
Who partners a VI dancer?
A standing dancer, in combi events.
Is the Viennese Waltz tempo different for VI dancers?
Yes, 58 to 60, as in class 2.
Who certifies intellectual impairment?
Virtus.
Are pilot events permanent?
No. They are trials.
Why the rule exists
Masks make all visually impaired dancers equally unable to see. Pilots test new groups before full events.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| VI | Eye mask | R App 6 |
| Ambulant | Pilot | R App 7 |
| Intellectual | Virtus | R App 7 |
From the rule book
World Para Dance Sport, 2026 Rules and Regulations, articles 4.2.2.2 and 4.3.1(e) and Appendices 6 and 7. Checked 15 October 2026. Official documents: WPDS 2026 Rules and Regulations and the classification pages.