Sports

Is Dancing a Sport?

Claire Miles
Jun 11, 2023

Dance is one of the most popular forms of physical activity for people of all ages and abilities. It is an art form that has been around for centuries, but in recent years it has also become a competitive sport. The debate over whether dance should be considered a sport or not has raged on for years, with each side having its own valid points to make. On one hand, dance requires tremendous physical strength and agility, as well as mental focus and discipline; on the other hand, it doesn’t necessarily involve competition against another person or team like traditional sports do.

Colourful studio portrait of a young woman dancing - stock photo

Getty Images/ DigitalVision/ Flashpop

The first point to consider when determining if dance should be classified as a sport is how much physical exertion it takes to perform at a high level. Dance requires intense amounts of strength and agility from its participants, who must often leap through the air while executing complicated footwork sequences at lightning speed. Furthermore, dancers need excellent coordination between their arms and legs in order to achieve graceful movements that look effortless from an audience’s perspective yet require immense amounts of energy behind them. All these factors add up to create an incredibly demanding physical activity that requires immense amounts of strength, stamina, and coordination.

The second point to consider when debating if dance should be considered a sport is the importance of technique in order to achieve a successful performance. Unlike traditional sports where an individual or team competes directly against each other, in dance it is often more important to master the technique of a particular dance style than it is to out-perform an opponent. This requires dancers to focus intently on perfecting each step in order to achieve the highest level of artistic expression possible. Furthermore, techniques can often be highly unique depending on the genre being performed, requiring dancers to put in extra effort and practice to master the nuances of each style.