Should DANCE be considered an art or a sport?

[6msherena]

Dance is expression. Dance is an art. However, is dance a sport?

Since I was three years old, I have been dancing my heart out on stage and anywhere I went. Dancing has allowed me to have fun expressing myself and learning new things about my body and self. As I grew up, dance became a desire I have than a workout class my parents sent me to. Getting accepted into Laguardia high school has given me the opportunity to dance 3 hours a day, doing many dance styles. Yes, I have been getting a great workout every day, i can’t deny that, but at the same time, I have been doing what I love, expressing my emotions and thoughts. Some say dance should be considered as a sport because we train everyday sweating and injuring ourselves. Moreover, there are dancers such as myself who grew up competing in dance, being judged and winning awards but that’s competitive dance rather than just dance. I believe that dancing has the elements of being a sport but it shouldn’t be considered to be one in the olympics because dancing is more of an art form than to be judged on how good you are than someone else when you’re expressing yourself. Hence, some say dance shouldn’t be considered a sport because we don’t work as hard as gymnasts or lawyers or wrestlers. I completely disagree with this because dancers sweat, cry, and bleed like gymnasts, training many hours a day. Dancers study techniques as lawyers study the law. In addition, dancers train to become better so that they get the job than someone else as wrestlers train to be the best in the arena. Dance can be a sport, but it is generally an art form in my opinion. So no one should say we don’t work as hard because “we” is a general term, and yes there are some who don’t even try just like any other sport, but there are the ones who do, so as Jesse states, all should not define one.

www.mibba.com/Articles/Entertainment/3068/Dance-Is-It-a-Sport/
www.debate.org/opinions/should-dance-be-considered-a-sport
www.huffingtonpost.com/jenna-garecht/is-dance-a-sport-or-an-ar_b_2681008.html

[6rkate]

I definitely agree with you Sherena. All my life I have been asked whether dance is considered a sport or an art form. I answer them with “it is beyond a sport, to me dance is a form of art with aspects of rigorous training included in sports such as basket ball and foot ball.” Dance seems so perfect on stage, the dancers are effortless and the costumes and sets are to die for. However behind all of that is the 36 hours in the studio working and training to receive the final product. That’s as much training as an average tennis player takes or a gymnast. We shed sweat, blood, and tears everyday knowing that we will never reach the goal of perfection, yet we still strive to do our best. Dance to me is more of an art form, there is a quote that I believe explains the meaning of dance and the answer to the question “Is dance an art or a sport?” and that is " Dancing is not just getting up painlessly, like a leaf blown on the wind; Dancing is when you tear your heart out and rise out of your body to hang suspended between the worlds." Dance is a spiritual and physical experience, yes dancers go through the rigorous aspect of training but there is a moment when we dance that we feel as if we have been lifted off the ground and we’re floating in space. It is a feeling that only dancers achieve and to me, that is called art.

[6kmeagan]

I completely agree with both of your statements. Being dance majors at LaGuardia, this is one question that we will forever be asked. In my opinion, dance demands so much more than the average sport of today does. Never in any physical sport is an athlete expected to make him or herself vulnerable to a viewing audience in expressing the truest, deepest emotions at heart. As a professional dancer, one is paid to get out on stage each night and communicate and develop a mutual emotional connection with people he or she may have never met before. This is never a simple task to accomplish. Entirely delivering yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally is what makes the art so unique. In addition, there is the pressure in making each performance of the same repeated pieces of the same caliber as last. Dancers must be able to tap into both their technique and the character they wish to portray. It takes much effort to be in the moment, feeling the warm stage lights on your skin and creating an entirely new atmosphere far beyond this world. So, yes. Dance is more than just a sport. It is a physical, mental, and emotional experience. It is not always about YOU. It is about the audience. It is about delivering the dance back to its people.

[3rcabuya]

As a dancer at LaGuardia, I naturally determine dance as an art form rather than a sport. I believe that the determining of dance as an art or a sport depends on the amount of exposure to dance. Those who haven’t truly been exposed to the creativity of dance are not able to fully comprehend the artistry that the form entails. The decrease in numbers of people attending dance performances or people advocating the arts is a contributor to the fact that dance is seen as merely sport. As a result, the intense physicality and aesthetics of dance become the main focus of which people use to judge this form. In addition to exposure, the way dance is portrayed through media is a factor in determining the character of dance. Movies, shows, even documentaries represent dance through the stressful technique that often causes major injuries, similar to those acquired from rigorous sports practice. People use the comparison of numerous hours training and the amount of concentration to fuse the concept of sport and dance together. Although dance does indeed increase the risk for obtaining painful injuries, the back-breaking agility is emphasized more than the fluidity or artistry of performing. Worldly renowned modern dancer and founder of the Graham technique, Martha Graham once said “Dancers are athletes of God”. Through this metaphor, it is up to one’s interpretation, knowledge, and exposure of dance to determine if the two are synonymous.

[10tjustine]

    I honestly believe that there is no correct answer as to whether or not dance is a sport or form of art. There is valid cause for it to be an art form because as a dancer you are a performer expected to portray the emotion that no tennis player or football player is expected to do. It can also be argued a sport because of the flexibility, stamina, and endurance that you need because dance is mentally and physically exhausting.
    As a competitive Irish Dancer, I too have had countless debates with my peers as to whether or not it is a sport. I can honestly say there is nothing more infuriating than when someone tells me dance is not a sport. It is so hard to hear someone diminish the years of work that countless dancers, including myself, put into developing technique, stamina, and step routines. After competing as a solo dancer at regionals and nationals, one can learn that every exhausting hour put into dancing is reflected in your performance while 5 or more judges determine your points. How can such a competitive event not be called a sport? Irish dance is also not just solo competitions, but relies on sportsmanship and team spirit to be successful in team competitions. Dancing at a worldwide competition with 7 of my friends was one of the best, most competitive and stressful competitions I have ever been to. Interestingly enough, the winning team had expert musicality and emotion, which is a form of art. I believe from my own experiences that dance is so unique because it is a sport and a form of art.

[6ckiara]

I realize that my answer might be a little biased; I danced from when I was 6-12, so it was not as serious for me in the way that it is for older, more competitive dancers. I honestly cannot decide, since both sides have very strong points. Dance is first and foremost a form of expression. It's an art that appeals to any and all of the audience's emotions, and one that allows the dancers to express themselves, their emotions, and their voices with only their bodies. A great dance performance could bring you to tears with its raw passion. On the other hand, dance is also very rigorous, enough to be correctly named a sport. Dancers go through years of training, both fitness and dance training. You must develop strength, stamina, techniques, moves, twists, turns, and all the works. It would say it's harder than it looks, but that's incorrect; in every performance you can (hopefully) see all the hard work that was put into making it the best it could be. It's also very competitive and has an entire culture built around it, including the very popular reality dance shows "So You Think You Can Dance" and "America's Best Dance Crew". In the end, I think if dance had to be categorized into just one, I would rather it be a sport. Unfortunately, many people do not take the arts seriously, despite it's great worth; defining dance as a sport would work to give it the credit and recognition it deserves, but in our hearts, we'll always know it's an art.

[3risabel]

I agree with everything you have said. Dance is a form of self expression. It goes far beyond the means of just an exercise used to sculpt a person’s muscles or strengthen their legs. It is an art. Dance has feeling in it. The best dancers are so renowned because of the honest, relatable emotions they incorporate in their work. When watching sports, I root for who I want to win but I never feel a deep connection with the performance I am watching. When I watch dance, there is something so profoundly striking about what I am seeing. I am able to connect with the artists on stage and feel what they are feeling. Dance is not just an exercise. It tells stories and brings the audience on journeys they could only imagine going on. It is a beautiful practice. Dance should most definitely be considered an art because of both the wonderful affect it has on the dancers and the gripping affect it has on the audience.