In Short, Dance is not a Sport
I could go on for hours about this topic, but I will keep this short. While dancers certainly train at the same level and exhibit the same ability and dedication as any athlete, NO, I do not believe dance is a sport. Look at the confusion over break-dancing in the Olympics, for example. While criteria and skills can be specified, as in gymnastics, it is not so clearly defined who can win or lose. Another issue is that dance, in its original form, was intended to be performance-based art. Unlike most sports, it wasn’t built around competition.
Traditional Sports vs. Competitions
The competition dance scene trickled into existence in the early 1980s, expanded in the 90’s and has absolutely exploded in popularity today. This is not necessarily a result of people appreciating the artistry of dance, but maybe more so because dance conventions and dance studios had to react to the increasing competition for kids’ attention. It is my opinion that without dance “competitions,” our art form would be losing out to competitive sports.
Dance competitions all began as studios and dancers wanted to begin “showing off” their skills. What better way to do this than holding performance showcases at dance conventions. That is really what competitions are, the opportunity for studios to showcase their dancers, and this has led to some high level competitions. These competitions, though, are totally different than sports in which winners and losers are chosen in refereed formats with very defined rules and norms.
Just as popular nowadays are dance competitions where no convention classes are held. Studios just show up and perform on the stage for a set of judges. If you are lucky, there will be other studios in your category to call it a competition. If not in your category, maybe in your division. Again, dance isn’t a sport, but in an effort to stay relevant in our society, situations were created to simulate competition.
Each studio has their own way of navigating the competitive waters. We all want to continue the passion of dance while remaining vibrant businesses that attract families looking to ensure their child has performance opportunities.
Athleticism and Art
The training to be a successful dancer is just the same as it is for successful athletes. The same drive, determination, talent and dedication is needed for both dancers and athletes alike.
I happen to have also raised 2 kids that were traditional athletes. Kayla was a tennis player in college. Jonathan is currently a Division I football player at East Tennessee State University. Based on our experience with them training in the early years, high school years, and college, it is with full confidence that I can say dancers have the same skill sets to be successful. Dancers, however, train for performances, not competitions.
Dance competitions have sprung up to quench that drive to perform, not necessarily “compete.” There are times where I’ve seen dancers training and getting better to achieve an award or “beat” another dancer at a competition, but it is not a driving force in the dance business that I’ve experienced.
Dancers are not athletes; they are performers. How they tell a story or convey a message is important. The artistic expression of dance is a defining difference between dance and sports, even though athleticism is necessary for both. That is why athletes are strongly encouraged to take dance as part of their training. In the proper setting, various styles of dance compliment the athletic training athletes receive. Tap for footwork, ballet for balance and strength, hip hop for full body conditioning and jazz for rapid weight change, agility and movement can all make better athletes. However, time is valuable, and many kids have to choose what they are most passionate about.
In the Grand Scheme of Things
Whether dance is a sport or not might be an irrelevant point in the grand scheme of things. Any activity that kids dedicate time, energy and passion to is surely to create opportunities for learning life lessons and building skills that will produce healthier, more productive and
well-rounded adults. Burns Dance Studio thrives on the opportunity to give dancers a chance to learn and grow into wonderful dancers and people. Come join us. Learn dance skills. Learn life skills. Learn to do hard things. You’ll be better for it, and so will we.
Comments