The Sport Up for Debate

The Sport Up for Debate

Hannah Gordon, Staff Writer

Dance can be seen and represented in many ways, a form of storytelling, an art, a form of storytelling and more. People can watch as a young little girl or boy progress and become a strong, amazing dancer. However, the topic up for debate is whether or not dance is a sport. 

As a dancer who has been performing for almost 15 years, I say, “Yes, of course”. But not everyone agrees most likely when someone hears the word sport they think of a game involving physical contact or a ball of some kind; not a group of girls performing on the tops of their toes. Whether it be ballet, tap, jazz, pom, contemporary, Latin or hip-hop dance is very underrated as far as ability goes. Like most sports, it requires years of strength training and there is always room for growth. It also requires a lot of room for comparison and critiques. I have been competing with routines for 7 years now and like other sports, we prepare for months practicing over and over again. We receive corrections from judges all over the world telling what we did wrong and how we can improve in all ways. 

Dance involves teamwork, effort, comparison, technique, and strength. And while that might not be visible from the stage to behind the scenes reveals all as to why dance is indeed a sport.