If I had a dollar for every time someone tried to argue with me that dance is not a sport, I could probably buy a new pair of pointe shoes. If you are a dancer or have danced at any point in your past, you have probably encountered someone who tells you their opinion. This opinion is usually not mean spirited, but more uninformed than anything.
The problem is that most people only see the routine, not the training. If you don’t work on your muscles, specifically legs and core, there is absolutely no way you could pull of a routine in any style. Not only do dancers have to build muscle, but also work on their flexibility. A lot of the stretches also build muscle while limbering them up at the same time.
Performing a routine on stage also takes stamina. Being able to jump around for a three to four minute routine is no easy task. There are no breaks, just movement.
The hardest part of any routine is what dancers are required to do: make it look easy. Instead of playing football, where it’s encouraged to make grunting sounds and aggressive faces, a dancer has to put on a smile. No one would attend a show with a bunch of girls grunting and shouting about how much pain they’re really in. If you think dance looks to easy to be a sport, you’re actually just watching someone excel at performing.
If you want to see someone make dance look easy, check this out.
People simply do not understand the physical capabilities that go along with being a dancer. So, let me inform you, style by style.
1. Ballet
A little girl tip-toeing around in circles with her arms over her head is the usual image that comes to mind here. Even though this may be true for toddler ballet classes, the older a dancer gets, this is just not the case. Long hours at the barre, learning combinations across the floor and learning proper technique is nothing less than hard work. It’s all worth it when you are finally granted your first pair of point shoes.
2. Tap
Want some fast paced cardio? Tap class is nothing less. Trying to maneuver your foot in multiple different positions in order to create the correct sound is a nonstop job.
3. Lyrical/Modern/Contemporary
Even though you may be moving a bit slower, there’s nothing easier about lyrical dances. Instead you must really work on your core muscles to be able to extend movements and hold them for longer periods of time in accordance with the music.
4. Jazz
If you aren’t sweating in Jazz class you probably aren’t doing it right. Usually with more fast paced music, it’s hard to catch your breath. One second you could be on the floor and the next standing up.
5. Hip Hop
Maybe you aren’t pulling your leg over your head, but moving as fast as a hip-hop dancer is hard work. Your heart rate is surely elevated trying to keep up to the rhythms.
6. Acro
Pretty sure gymnastics is considered a sport, so we can skip this one.
There are plenty more spinoff styles of dance, but these main ones definitely capture the type of athlete it takes to keep up with the sport!
