I’ve heard it around a lot. People say dance isn’t considered a sport, or it’s not a real sport. People say it’s just an art, but it’s not only an art. Dance has the same “requirements” that make basketball and football a sport. It’s been proven that dance ranked 97/100 for physicality, and ranked number 1 out of 20 in the most physically demanding jobs.
Dance requires skill, physical strength and endurance, flexibility, and being competitive. Dance requires skills on and off the stage, for example, stretching before a competition so you don’t pull a muscle during a performance. A lot of people say that dance looks effortless, well that’s the same thing as watching a soccer team win a game. Dancers spend hours a day practicing, usually 6-7 hours a day 6 days a week. The schedule is around 10 am-6 pm. Then there’s other professional dancers who spend around 10 hours a day. Dance is a lot of hard work, training, and dedication.
There’s also a lot of people who say dance isn’t a sport “unless it’s competitive.” Or they argue that it isn’t a sport because you don’t win trophies or medals. Dance competitions do exist, and they come in a wide variety of styles. There’s always something new to watch, it’s not all the same thing the whole time. That’s nothing against other sports. But when you win a dance competition there are trophies, or some companies will do medals.
The fact that dancers only use their bodies, for the most part, should be an accomplishment on its own. There are props that you can choose to use, but the movements of your body is the main part. That alone makes it a step harder than other sports, because dance doesn’t depend on another object. When you only have your body it’s harder to attract people’s attention. So when you catch people’s eye, that’s equal to the feeling of scoring a goal, basket, or a homerun. It may be a different form, but it’s all the same.