I’ve been dancing since I was four years old and since the beginning I have been told dance is not a sport. For a while, when I was old enough to understand a little more, I agreed and considered it more of an art, similar to what theater would be viewed as. However, as I have gone through many more experiences and seen many injuries I have decided dance should indeed be viewed as a sport.

There’s a reason I chose to bring this argument to the surface. Recently I have been a part of and seen many dancers be overlooked because it does not seem to require as much athleticism as, lets say, football or soccer. But if you take the time to look into how many injuries occur in a year from dance vs. football it’s a pretty close call in numbers.

With that being said, I think it is important for dancers to receive more attention than they are currently. From simple sprains, to fractures and breaks, as well as muscle tears, collegiate dance teams and dance studios should have better access to trainers and health care assistants. Most dancer’s bodies don’t last too much longer after a career and those that make it far in life still performing have lots of recovery routines necessary at the end of each day just like any other sport.

My point in this is to bring more attention to the necessity of dancers all around wanting more access to trainers and asking for more help in protecting our bodies and doing whatever is possible to keep them functioning for longer.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, however think a little more and take a look at a dancer's body and schedule before you jump to conclusions about it being a sport or not.