By: Abby Lemieux, Junior
Is Dance a Sport? How much longer will this controversy surrounding dance continue? Some people agree that it is a sport while others disagree. According to Webster.com, a sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Dance should be considered a sport as it requires a work ethic and athletic ability, and builds confidence and emotion.
Competitions are events we must participate in while having the time for the weekly, rigorous rehearsals leading up to these performances. Competitions require skill and bravery, as well as the mental component, which calls for a high ethical character while competing against other dancers. Competitions are events where dancers go up against a bunch of other dance studios to perform our routines we have been working on.
We get scored by multiple judges. Competitions can be very difficult for some; if we can’t do something that the judges or teachers ask, there might be a slimmer chance of winning.
Did you know that dancers practice up to 5-10 hours a week? Practices can be very long and tiring. In order to become better dancers, we have to practice, then keep practicing until “perfection.” Like many other athletes, dancers have to stretch, increase our stamina, and work extremely hard. Dance places a rigorous and strenuous force on your body like football, and we train more intensely than other athletes. The flexibility and physical requirements, as well as dance movements, can be even more dangerous than an “actual” sport.
During practice, we make sure that we have all the steps, counts, and especially the choreography correct. Practice makes dance a sport because all other sports have practice to make the participants better.
Some people may argue that dance is too simple… In today’s society, many athletes take ballet and dance classes to improve their athleticism on the field or ice, as dance requires the movement of many smaller muscles that regular sports may ignore. Steve McLendon, a New York Jets defensive tackle, has been taking ballet since 2009. McLendon takes ballet classes to help him become injury free. He also says that it can help your ankles and keep your feet very strong. Even professional hockey player Auston Marner and baseball players take dance classes.
Dance is a sport. We do most of what every athlete does and more! We compete, practice, gain confidence, and emote. If you still think that dance is easy and not a sport, I challenge you to memorize a four minute routine and be at practice for up to ten hours a week.