When you think of a sport, the first things that probably come to mind are soccer, baseball, or football. As for the arts, you would most likely think of singing, painting, or drawing. But when it comes to dance, the question always comes up: which category does it belong in?
Some may say that dance is a sport because of the physical intensity and competitiveness of it. According to dictionary.reference.com, a sport is considered “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature.” Dance fits these requirements because it involves a high level of physical fitness and skill. Dance is so beneficial to fitness that even some professional football players take classes to improve their balance and strengthen their muscles. It can also be considered competitive because of the numerous competitions that dancers have the opportunity to participate in both regionally and internationally, with some of the most popular being the Youth America Grand Prix and the International Ballet Competition.
Dance can also be categorized as an art because of the grace and musicality that goes along with it. As dictionary.reference.com states, an art is “the expression or application of human creative skill or imagination.” Dancers use these skills to imagine the person or character that they are trying to portray and communicate that to their audience imaginatively. In addition to this, dancers create emotions for their audience through expressions and gestures. The soft, delicate, graceful aspects of dance require artistic abilities. Many people think of dance as just the steps, but the art that it requires adds more complexity to it.
Back to the question: is dance a sport, an art, or both? Dance should be considered a sport and an art because it meets the criteria of both. It requires fitness and athleticism, but also poise and musical skill. It is competitive and creative. The Youth America Grand Prix, the largest dance competition in the world, rates dancers based on two main categories: technique and artistry. The technique portion demonstrates how dance is a sport, with some of the criteria being flexibility and physical difficulty of the steps. As for the artistry portion, the name speaks for itself. Some of the requirements there are expression and musicality. The difficult jumps and turns make dance a sport, while the graceful arm movements and emotional facial expressions make it an art. Professional ballet dancer Shanna LaFleur demonstrates this by saying, “It takes an athlete to dance, but it takes an artist to be a dancer.” Because of the competitiveness, vigor, elegance, and musicality that are involved in dance, it should be categorized as both a sport and an art.
By Kaitlyn W.
Dance: A Sport, An Art, or Both?
5