What’s happening?
Toowoomba-born dancer KalaMoana Bailey, from the Madeline Stuart Dance Company, has been selected to represent Australia in the country’s first all-abilities hip hop teams.
KalaMoana Bailey will be part of Australia’s debut in the Special Olympic Independent Hip Hop and Special Abilities Hip Hop categories at the ICU World Championships in Orlando this April.
The teams are being fielded through a partnership between the Madeline Stuart Dance Company and the Australian Cheer Union. The partnership will see Australia enter teams made up entirely of athletes with disabilities in these divisions for the first time.
Working with the Australian Cheer Union, the Madeline Stuart Dance Company is recruiting and preparing athletes nationally. The move gives performers of all abilities the opportunity to compete at the highest level on the international stage.
Why it matters?
This is a major moment for inclusive sport and performing arts in Australia.
For KalaMoana Bailey, it is a chance to represent both Australia and a community that has long been underrepresented in elite sport and performance.
For Australia, it marks a shift from inclusion being discussed as an idea to inclusion being seen on the world stage.
Australian Cheer Union Team Australia Director Danelle Cooney said the debut carries real weight for athletes in the disabled cheer and dance community.
“The Australian Cheer Union is proud to be entering Australian teams in the Special Abilities and Special Olympics divisions for the first time this year, with the active support and leadership of the Madeline Stuart Dance Company,” Ms Cooney said.
“It is important to give the fierce competitors from our disabled cheer and dance community the opportunity to compete at the highest level, and we cannot wait to see them shine on the world stage.”
Local Impact
For Toowoomba, KalaMoana Bailey’s selection gives the city a clear connection to a national first.
A local dancer will represent Australia in a historic debut that places athletes with disabilities on the world stage in a way that has not previously existed for Australia.
That gives the story strong local relevance, while also tying Toowoomba to a broader national moment in inclusion and representation.
By the numbers
- The ICU World Championships will run from 22 to 24 April 2026 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, USA.
- The Madeline Stuart Dance Company is marking its 10th anniversary, making this international debut an important milestone in the company’s history.
- The ICU World Championships brings together thousands of athletes from nearly 30 countries, placing Australia’s first all-abilities hip hop teams on a major global stage.
Zoom In
The team is being led by Madeline Stuart, the world’s first professional supermodel with Down syndrome and one of Australia’s most recognised disability advocates.
A decade after making global headlines on the fashion runway, Stuart continues to turn visibility into lasting impact. Leading Australia’s first fully inclusive disability teams to the ICU World Championships stands as the most significant milestone of that work so far.
The company she founded was built on the belief that everyone deserves visibility and opportunity. Over the past 10 years, the Madeline Stuart Dance Company has supported performers of all abilities to thrive on stage and beyond.
Stuart’s words capture the message behind the team’s selection.
“Everyone deserves to live their dream, if society will champion it.”
Zoom Out
The Madeline Stuart Dance Company and the Australian Cheer Union are doing more than sending teams overseas.
They are opening a pathway for athletes with disabilities to represent Australia in official world championship divisions. That places inclusive performance in the same conversation as elite international competition.
The Championships feature mainstream, unified, all-abilities, Special Olympic Independent Hip Hop and Special Abilities Hip Hop divisions. Alongside these are Team Performance Cheer divisions including Hip Hop, Pom and Jazz, as well as Premier, Elite, Junior World and specialised school championships.
Each nation is permitted one entry per division, which underlines the significance of Australia’s first entry in these disability categories.
What To Look For Next?
Australia’s debut in these divisions at the ICU World Championships will be the next major step.
The team’s appearance in Orlando will also show what this breakthrough means for inclusive performance on a world stage.