Dancing and sports are fun activities that have been practiced for centuries around the world. The Oxford Dictionary defines a sport as, “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment”. By using this definition, many would consider dance to be named a sport. However, society labels all dance styles as a club or extracurricular activity. At first glance, dancers would say dance should be named a sport. But on closer inspection, others can argue against this. Although society has so far refused to recognize dancing as a team physical activity, I believe that dance should be accepted as a sport.
Some do not consider dancing to be a sport because it is not …show more content…
However, they all have in common the amount of physical and mental work needed to perform it. All varieties of dance require strength, endurance, agility, dedication, balance, and coordination. This is the same for sports as well. Every sport is different from each other, but they all require mental and physical strength. The long-running television program, “Dancing with the Stars”, showcases the difficulty of learning to ballroom dance (“Dancing with the Stars (TV Series)”). Celebrities and professional athletes are paired with a professional ballroom dancer to learn a duet. The competitors perform in front of a panel of judges to receive a score. The lowest scoring duet are disqualified from the competition. Many of the contestants struggle to learn the choreographer or keep up with the professional. This shows how difficult it is to perform. In addition, dancers can get injured just as easily as other sport athletes. Research has shown that dancers have very similar injuries compared to other athletes. One study showed that ankle injuries account for about 21% of all sports-related injuries and 31% for ballerinas (“Dance IS a Sport...at Least in Terms of Injury”). This statistic shows that amount of strain that performers and athletes put on their ankle joint is about the same. This proves that dancers and athletes put the same amount of exertion into their work and should be accredited the same for …show more content…
In dance, it is imperative that dancers use expression and acting. A dance should tell a story and evoke feelings in the audience without a script, just movement. It is often paired with music to enhance the dramatic aspect of dancing. Countless choreographers such as George Balanchine and Martha Graham are known for being artistic and dramatic in their movements (“Martha Graham: The Mother of Modern Dance”). Dance originated as a performance for an audience, not being judged at competitions. In sports, athletes do not use this performance aspect. Therefore, in this aspect, some may say dance is more of a performing art than a sport. However, I agree with the words of Jenna Garecht, “Just because dance is a sport does not mean that it isn’t also an art” (“Is Dance A Sport Or An
Some do not consider dancing to be a sport because it is not …show more content…
However, they all have in common the amount of physical and mental work needed to perform it. All varieties of dance require strength, endurance, agility, dedication, balance, and coordination. This is the same for sports as well. Every sport is different from each other, but they all require mental and physical strength. The long-running television program, “Dancing with the Stars”, showcases the difficulty of learning to ballroom dance (“Dancing with the Stars (TV Series)”). Celebrities and professional athletes are paired with a professional ballroom dancer to learn a duet. The competitors perform in front of a panel of judges to receive a score. The lowest scoring duet are disqualified from the competition. Many of the contestants struggle to learn the choreographer or keep up with the professional. This shows how difficult it is to perform. In addition, dancers can get injured just as easily as other sport athletes. Research has shown that dancers have very similar injuries compared to other athletes. One study showed that ankle injuries account for about 21% of all sports-related injuries and 31% for ballerinas (“Dance IS a Sport...at Least in Terms of Injury”). This statistic shows that amount of strain that performers and athletes put on their ankle joint is about the same. This proves that dancers and athletes put the same amount of exertion into their work and should be accredited the same for …show more content…
In dance, it is imperative that dancers use expression and acting. A dance should tell a story and evoke feelings in the audience without a script, just movement. It is often paired with music to enhance the dramatic aspect of dancing. Countless choreographers such as George Balanchine and Martha Graham are known for being artistic and dramatic in their movements (“Martha Graham: The Mother of Modern Dance”). Dance originated as a performance for an audience, not being judged at competitions. In sports, athletes do not use this performance aspect. Therefore, in this aspect, some may say dance is more of a performing art than a sport. However, I agree with the words of Jenna Garecht, “Just because dance is a sport does not mean that it isn’t also an art” (“Is Dance A Sport Or An