Football pitches, basketball courts, swimming pools, running tracks, and dance floors. The action at Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 isn’t restricted to traditional sporting competitions.
The Dance Sport Challenge will see 130 dancers from 25 nations, including the UAE, take part in a range of exhilarating dance competitions.
Taking place at the Saadiyat Island campus of New York University, Abu Dhabi, on 19 and 20 March, the dancers will compete in a variety of contemporary styles including jazz and hip-hop as well as traditional routines and ‘speciality’ dances.
The Dance Sport Challenge is classed as a demonstration sport, with participants performing in exciting team and duo competitions. Performances will be held at NYU, Abu Dhabi’sArts Center (Red Theatre).
Dancing contests made their debut at the 2015 World Games in Los Angeles. The ideal addition to the wide range of sporting and cultural events that are supported by Special Olympics, dance contests were also held in Graz, Austria, in 2017.
Now in its third edition, the UAE capital will host the biggest Dance Sport Challenge as part of the World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.
Each of the performances will be watched by a panel of expert judges including Louis van Amstel, a Dutch-American ballroom dance champion who appeared on the US reality TV series Dancing with the Stars.
Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics, will also be present at the Dance Sport Challenge at New York University, Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the Dance Sport Challenge. Admission is free, with doors opening at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.
