Dancing is all but banned in South Australia, but one resourceful local has found a way around that roadblock — with the help of several dozen wheelchairs.
Entrepreneur, event organiser, disability advocate and wheelchair user Shane Hryhorec is currently going through final preparations at a unique Adelaide Fringe pop-up venue.
At a former health site at Port Adelaide, Hryhorec has overseen the creation of an accessible space for people with disabilities.
But he is also creating an opportunity for dance-starved members of the general public to get a bit of rhythm back into their lives — by giving them access to wheelchairs.
"The government rule is that you need to be seated so you can't be upright and standing around," he said.
"We can all follow the government direction and then, at the end of it, we can donate all of the wheelchairs to charity."
Current COVID-19 emergency rules in South Australia mean that dancing in large groups is currently only permitted at dance studios or for newlywed couples.
But Hryhorec said that by ensuring dancers remained seated in wheelchairs, he could operate the venue without breaching the rules.
'I'll be on the D-floor'
The event space at the old Port Adelaide Medical Centre will operate over five weekends of the upcoming Adelaide Fringe festival, and will also host an indoor beer garden and a performance stage for cabaret artists.
"When venues are accessible, there's an overwhelming feeling of validation, relief and excitement that I can actually take part in this community that I love so much," performer Diana Divine said.
But it's the wheelchair dancefloor that Hryhorec, who is a former DJ with experience across Adelaide's nightclub scene, believes could act as the major drawcard — and he's already throwing down the gauntlet.
"It depends on what your skill level is, we do have what are called anti-tippers on the back of the wheelchair.
"I can do a dance move where I can go up on my back wheels and spin around and do a 360 whilst my front wheels are in the air.
"That's something an advanced wheelchair user could do. You don't need strength of arms, you need balance. It's all about balance and coordination."
Creating awareness and education
Since breaking his neck in a swimming pool accident and spending five days in a coma in 2007, Hryhorec has become a passionate advocate for inclusion and awareness.
He is currently the managing director of Push Mobility, a disability equipment provider and distributor that he founded in 2013.
He said the major incentive behind the performance space was his wish to give the broader public a taste of what for him is a daily experience.
"Friends of mine in the past were always like, 'What's it like being in a wheelchair?'" he said.
"This kind of led to the idea of why don't we put the wheelchairs on the dancefloor because it's a great way of creating awareness and education about what it is like.
"We do a lot of work trying to improve access to bars and restaurants and cafes."
Hryhorec said while attitudes were changing, accessibility too often remains an "afterthought" at venues.
"I know a couple of performers who are wheelchair users and often they go to venues and there's a massive stage and there's no way for them to get on," he said.
"This is a big focus of our venue — we've got accessible entry, accessible bathrooms, even our main stage for live acts has a ramp.
"We've got performers in wheelchairs and even DJs who use wheelchairs can get up on the decks and wheel up there and perform."
Shows will run from Thursday to Sunday during the Fringe, with about 30 to 40 wheelchairs on site.
