Every day society deals with classification of people, politics, and more; how something is classified can be based off facts, opinion, and experience. All three of these play an especially large role in the classification of dance. There are facts about it that make it a sport and others that do not fit the definition. People can have very different opinions based on their perception of dance and how they see it. Also, people may be looking in from the outside while others have truly experienced it so they have different information to bring to the discussion. This topic truly questions what dance should be classified as: a sport, an art form, or both. This also arises the question of whether dancers are athletes, artists, or both. It is important to recognize the qualifications of a sport and art in addition to an athlete and an artist. A sport is defined as, “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment” (Definition of Sport). An athlete, by definition, is “a person who is trained or skilled in exercise, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina” (Definition of Athlete). There are many attributes to dance and dancers that fit these definitions, but there is also a large grey area. This topic has been popularly discussed in waves. The popularity of the topic can come from a new dance show or movie or competition. There has never been a clear-cut answer, which there may never be, but this essay will help one to form their own opinion and argument based on the information presented. Because there has never been a definitive answer, dancers have also been lacking the respect from majority of the country. By recognizing it as a sport, it will be seen with higher respect and therefore more admiration and appreciation. It is important to look at all sides of the argument which includes facts, opinions, and experiences. 

Since I have been two, dance has played a large part in my life. As I have grown up doing what I love, I have also had to hear all the criticisms what come along with being a dancer. When people would ask what sports I play, depending on the age, my answer would be softball, soccer, track, and dance. When I would say dance, sometimes I would get a peculiar look as to say “but wait dance is not a sport.” It was not always easy having to try and explain to people why dance is a sport because it can be frustrating that majority of people do not understand it. Being an athlete not only through dance but other activities that are accepted as sports, I have the experience of both sides. Being a track athlete is different than being a soccer athlete and it is also different than being a dance athlete. Every sport is different, but I know from experience the hard work, athleticism, and determination are all the same. I have had dance classes that I sweat in just as much if not more than a conditioning soccer practice. I have been an athlete my whole life not only through dance, but through many other sports and one is not easier in any way, shape, or form than another.

There are many general ideas and thoughts when it comes to seeing dance as a sport or not. In the article “10 Reasons Why Dance Is A Sport” by Jillian Rousseau (2016), it discussed ten basic reasons as to why dance is a sport. The reasons are generalized and not supported largely by facts, but still play in important role in understanding the full topic. Majority of Rousseau’s reasons are in relation to being an athlete and why dancers are athletes. Her reasons in relation to this are it is a workout, dancers stretch, gain muscle, need strong stamina, and get injured. The point being made is that every athlete works out, stretches, gains muscle, needs stamina, and can get injured. Therefore, dancers are athletes by looking at these details. These are very important components to being a competitive, healthy athlete. Other points the author makes are there is competition, uniforms, equipment, and a need to remember things.  Competition is a key component in athletics. Typically, there is a team going against another or an individual competing against another. Competition creates a definite winner which shows which competitor is the more talented one. This is important in sports because there are winners, losers, and championships. Some people will say that dance is not competitive, but it is. There are endless amounts of competitions around the globe that people participate in. There are winners, losers, and everyone gets scored. In addition, there are competitions like nationals which are the top dancers and as a competitor one must qualify for. Although in dance they are typically called costumes, dancers do have uniforms. When they perform, they must have their uniforms together in order to look professional and to be able to compete. All dances require equipment just like sports do. Depending on the dance, there may be props, like a chair, used, but regardless dancers have their shoes. They are dancers most important equipment; every sport has specific shoes and so does dance. A need to remember things is important in everyday life, but it is a key component in sports. An athlete must remember plays, moves, what to do next, and the rules of the game amongst many more. A dancer must remember technique, the routine, and every single step. The last point that this article makes is that dance is difficult. Every sport is difficult in their own way just like dance is. One of the components of dance is to make it look easy and effortless, but just because it is meant to look that way does not mean that it is. This article provides a concrete base for dance being a sport.

Football is known as one of the most difficult sports because of how much athleticism one must have to be successful in the sport. Although not all football players take dance classes, many do. It is said that by taking dance classes, most popularly ballet, that the football players’ knees, ankles, and feet gain strength (Drezdzon). It is also very useful to their coordination skills and fast footwork. As a result of this strengthening, their agility increases which is extremely helpful to their performance on the field. Both dancers and athletes, including football players, need to have full body conditioning. Many of the same muscle groups are used, not necessarily in the same way though. There are many similarities in the strength and conditioning that goes along with being a dancer and an athlete (Drezdzon). Vince Lombardi, one of the most iconic people to be involved in the National Football League, once hired the founder and his wife of the Makaroff School of Ballet. He hired them to teach ballet to the Green Bay Packers, a professional football team (Drezdzon). This goes to show just how effective ballet can be on some of the best athletes in the world. Vince Lombardi is an icon so when it comes to becoming a better football player, he is someone worth listening to. Since he was the one to arrange for the ballet classes, he must know the positive effect that they can have on the players. Another example of this is Steve McLendon who was a member of the Pittsburg Steelers become recently becoming a part of the New York Jets. Even though McLendon started taking some ballet classes in college for credit, he noticed the impact that they were having on him as a football player. He noticed just how much they were helping him with his game. Because of this, he continues taking ballet classes to improve his skill level and strength (Drezdzon). These are just a couple, amongst many, cases where professional football players take dance classes to help them on the field. These players notice and appreciate how difficult dance can be and how much it can have a positive effect on their physical strength. If professional football players use dance for strength and agility, then it proves how athletic one must be to be a dancer.

Injuries come with being an athlete, especially a high caliber one. They are part of pushing your body to its absolute limits to become better at the sport one is enthralled in. Injuries can happen through contact or without contact. Many people when they think of an athlete getting injured they automatically assume that it is through contact when it does not have to be. In popular sports like football and basketball there is a lot of contact which can cause an injury. On the other hand, in a sport like baseball there its very little to no contact involved, but the athletes still get injured. It is a myth that dancers do not get injured. People believe that just because there tends to be no contact they cannot get injured. On the contrary, dancers receive more ankle injuries than other athletes and about the same number of foot injuries (Martin). Foot and ankle injuries are some of the most common. Dancers, although have minimal contact, tend to get these injuries by doing things with their bodies that they are not meant to do naturally. They must bend and point and extend in all directions which forces a large strain on their bodies (Martin). Joseph H. Mazo observed many dancers get injured while observing the New York City Ballet. He writes “Warning: It Has Been Determined That Ballet Dancing Is Dangerous To Your Health. Dancers have voluntarily altered the course of evolution, and that practice invariably leads to trouble” (Mazo 230). Dancers are forced to train their bodies to do things that they should not normally be able to do; it puts a large strain on muscles, tendons, and bones. Because of this difficulty, dancers can get injured. Injuries are a large part of being an athlete and can happen without contact. The physical strain on one’s body can be enough to push it past its limit and gain an injury.

 Professional dance companies are some of the most competitive and intense programs out there. One of the most credible in the world is the New York City Ballet. In 1973, Joseph H. Mazo studied the New York City Ballet in depth and observed what the life of a dancer is like. It is important to notice and recognize what life is truly like being a professional dancer. It is the highest up and most intense that a dancer can get. Being a professional dancer is very similar to being a professional athlete of any other sport, like football. This book offers insight into a prestigious and professional dance company like no other. It showcases their classes and rehearsals consist of blood, sweat, tears and can last all day; it also shows their lives in dance (Mazo). As an athlete, one’s sport consumes their life; it becomes who they are and a key component in their life. To tell how hard and how much dancers work, Mazo writes “Faces, hands and chests perspire until they shine like the mirror that fills the front wall” (19). This simile truly brings the hard work and difficulty to life. He also writes “It doesn’t matter if you don’t know what a double saut de basque is. Unless you’re a dancer and muscled like Tarzan, you can’t do even one” (22). This shows how much muscle is needed to do even one dance move. A video that supports this focuses on students in the School of American Ballet in New York City. They discuss everything that they have given up to work towards their goal, their rehearsals, and what it is like training to be a professional dancer. It takes immense hard work, determination, and dedication (Dance Is for Athletes). George Balanchine was the choreographer for the company. He told Mazo that if he were to do write about the dancers and the company that he had to be fully invested. Mazo had to be there at all times when everyone else was, no exception. He was lucky enough to have the opportunity to observe a prestigious dance company. This helped Mazo to completely understand not only the intensity, but all aspects of dance and see what goes on behind the senses to truly grasp the whole experience. 

There are many similarities and differences about what makes dance, dance and a sport a sport. The main similarities are that both sports and dance require “coordination, timing, stamina, balance, and cardiovascular efficiency” (Ingram). All of these components are vital to being successful in dance and sport. They are important to being an athlete; dancers must contain these traits so therefore dancers are athletes. Athletes play and participate in sports so dance is a sport. On the other hand, it is said that the motivation for dancing and the motivation for participating in sports are different which then qualifies the two as different things (Ingram). This mean that people have different reasons to dance and to play a sport. One is more for entertainment and the other is more for competition. Overall, every sport has its similarities and differences, including dance, but it does not mean that the qualifications are not there.

With all of the people that believe and accept dance as a sport, there are just as many, if not more, people who see dance as an art form or simply not a sport. In an article titled “Dance Is Not a Sport,” the author writes how dance is simply an art form (Linnihan). Dance is supposed to tell a story; it is supposed to make their audience feel something emotionally. Some may say that competition dance is more like a sport because one dance is trying to be better than the others for a title, trophy, and prize, but overall dance is an art form. Dancers have the same athletic ability as athletes, but that does not change the purpose of dance which is to tell a story using one’s body through movement and without words. Many non-dancers will agree with this article because those people see dance strictly as an art form. The see dance as an art form because that is how it is performed, but they do not see everything that goes on behind the curtain. In addition, there may be some dancers that agree dance is an art form, but not all would feel that way. Dance is much more than just another sport (Linnihan). Dancers know about all the hard work and competitiveness behind dance so many dancers feel strongly that it is a sport and therefore would disagree with this article. In another article “8 Reasons Why Dance is Not a Sport,” the author speaks about the eight main reasons as to why dance is not a sport. The main points that they make is that dance is an art form, at the competitive level scoring is subjective, the highest levels of dance is not competitive, and that majority of high schools do not have a dance team (Sprtsgy1989). The author says “‘sport’ is not a compliment and ‘dance’ is not an insult.” This means that their perspective it does not matter what it is classified as because one term does not come with more recognition and appreciation than the other. Also, at dance competitions the scoring is based off of many criteria like technique, but it is scored by judges so it is subject unlike basketball where points are given for getting the ball in the hoop. At the highest level, dance is not necessarily competitive because the highest level is making it into a prestigious dance company where one works hard to perform for an audience. Lastly, there is a law that schools must offer the same amount of men’s and women’s sports. Therefore, dance is not included in the inclusion of sports because the balance must stay intact. The main argument against dance being a sport is that it is an art form, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  

The question of dance being a sport or not has been debated for a long time. There have been many different approaches for people to explain their side of the argument. It has involved opinions, surveys, and facts. Through researching the topic, it showed that although there are some differences between dance and sports, there are much more similarities. This qualifies dance to be considered and accepted as a sport and dancers as athletes. People may have different perspectives, but that is the case with almost everything in life. It is important to look at things from all points of view to fully form one’s opinion. Everyone has the right to feel a certain way, but many people do not care to look at the opposing side. If more people were to do so, then more people would appreciate dancers and dance as a whole like it should be.
