BAFTA Winner McCausland Inspires Blind Ballroom Competitors

Almost 50 competitors have realised their dream to dance at the world-famous Tower Ballroom in Blackpool in a blind ballroom competition this month. The Open Worlds Competition saw participation quadruple after a surge in people wanting to dance following Chris McCausland’s Strictly win last year. The competition first introduced a blind category last year.

Jay Seymour (28) signed up to the UK’s only dedicated blind ballroom programme at the start of the year, inspired by the Strictly celebrity. A longtime fan of the comedian, Jay recently met McCausland after attending one of his shows and shared his dancing journey and preparations for Blackpool. Jay has made fast progress in a short time and walked away with the first-place medal in the Latin Rumba category.  

Rashmi Becker MBE, Founder of Step Change Studios which runs the blind ballroom dance programme in London said: “It is wonderful to see the positive impact Chris McCausland has had on our students. It really proves the importance of representation. So many new students have said they never thought they could dance until Chris wowed audiences on Strictly each week. His BAFTA win came shortly after their competition! I was so proud to see our students take their place on the dancefloor in an international competition, which included blind competitors from Poland who had not had the opportunity to dance in the renowned Tower Ballroom until now.

“The demand for our blind dance programme has increased significantly and we have a waiting list of people wanting to join. We have recently secured a grant to expand the programme and want to support more teachers around the country to provide ballroom dance to people with sight loss. The benefits go beyond enjoying dance; our students have said taking part has helped their confidence, independence, mental and physical wellbeing, and to be part of a community.”

Alex (41), who received medals in both Ballroom and Latin events said: “I believe whenever you challenge yourself, you get something positive back. Even though something like this can be daunting, you just have to say yes to the opportunity. Having a vision impairment can make learning steps and routines challenging as we can’t just watch and copy what we see. But I spent hours practicing in my spare time wherever we can find some space.”

Blind competitor Martia Bevan (60) who came first in the Waltz and Quickstep dances and has never missed a class said: “Two years ago, I never imagined that rolling up to a dance class would give me the opportunity to dance at the famous Tower Ballroom. This is one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunities. The training is accessible and well thought through and I feel the commitment has really paid off.”