Move · Videos · Dance · 5 min

Wheelchair and Standing Dance Together: Brush, Turn and Jump

Wheelchair and Standing Dance Together: Brush, Turn and Jump — video by Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning Play · 5:18

Video by Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning on YouTube · Open on YouTube

Dancing Wheels founder Mary Verdi-Fletcher, the first professional wheelchair dancer in the US, and Sara Lawrence-Sucato show how wheelchair users and standing dancers translate a brush, a turn and a jump into a short dance to music. The wheelie shown is for experienced users.

  • 5 min
  • Beginner
  • Moderate impact
  • No equipment

Good forDancing for funFun workouts

Open in VideosLog it in Train

Step by step 6

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Brush: standing, point one foot to the front; seated, stretch one arm forward at the same angle. 1:41
  2. Turn to the right in a wheelchair: pull on the right push rim and push forward on the left together. 2:14
  3. Jump: standing dancers jump, and Mary shows a pop-up wheelie as the seated version; four together. 3:01
  4. Build the dance: four brushes, four counts to turn, then four jumps. 3:21
  5. Run the twelve counts through without stopping. 3:54
  6. Dance it to the music. 4:05

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Start tall: standing with feet together, or seated tall facing forward
  • Brush: standing dancers point a foot forward; seated dancers reach an arm forward at the same angle
  • To turn right in a wheelchair, right hand forward and left hand back on the push rims

What it works

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses light on the joints

  • Shoulders movesarm brushes, pushing the wheels to turn
  • Hips movesleg brushes, turns
  • Knees movesturns, a few small jumps
  • Ankles & feet movespointed-foot brushes, a few small jumps
  • Jumping or hopping. Impact goes through the ankles, knees and hips.

Easier option from the coach: The seated version uses an arm brush and a chair turn; no jumping

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

More like this

Browse all 764 videos

Video by Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety