“Dance is not a sport.”

This is one of the most aggravating sentences for anyone that is a part of the dance community. We know that dance is one of the most challenging things for someone to do because we also must perform gracefully in our costumes, wearing coats of makeup, and using gallons of hairspray.

It drains your energy and causes serious injuries, just like any other sport, so what’s the difference? Why is there so much controversy about whether or not dance is a sport?

According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, a sport is a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other. This may not exist in the professional world of dance, because it is performance, but there is competition dance through High Schools and Studios across the nation. Dancers train all year  in order for preparation of these events and it never stops.

Many sports have an off-season, but in order for a dancer to improve, they must train constantly in order to remain in their best shape.

“People don’t understand how hard and tiring  it truly is,” says senior Shae Peters. As dancers, we lift people, we jump, we fall to the floor, we turn and we kick. It requires strength, control, endurance, flexibility and rhythm in order to give a two to three minute piece the quality it requires.  At the same time, dancers also need to think about their performance and how they look when presenting it on stage.

“It’s a sport in the physicality of it, it’s very challenging on the body. But it’s a sport and an art at the same time,” said senior Sandy Strangis. Along with the challenges it brings, dance brings a beauty to the beholders eyes.“ Artists tell stories by painting pictures, dancers tell stories by using their bodies,” says senior Shae Peters. Choreographers create an experience that makes the audience feel something, visually appealing and take their breathe away.

Dance has the qualities that qualify it both as a sport and an art.  It’s about performance and strength, a balancing act between an athlete and an artist through our year round performances. We have mastered the art of evoking emotion and telling a story without saying a word. We are the unknown athletes, for we give dance that effortless grace the audience desires.