+326 Dance (ballet,jazz,modern,pointe) is a real SPORT. amirite?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

woooo thankyou i love you :]

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Not a sport, but an art form.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

no, it's a sport. do you guys have any idea how much strength training male dancers hae to do? and i have better muscle tone in my legs (i'm a dancer) than my boyfriend on the track team. Dance takes commitment and practice, and it is not easy to do.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

(Dancer24/7/365): so does acting...it's only a sport in the instances where it is judged

by Anonymous 13 years ago

(Dancer24/7/365): I agree with you completely but how come you said male* dancers? Female dancer work just as hard.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

(Dancer24/7/365): lots of thingstake commitment but that doesn't mean they're sports.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

When did anyone say that the fact that dance takes commitment is the *only* reason that it's a sport? it also takes strength, grace, athleticism, an ungodly level of fitness, and an incredibly high pain threshold.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

it's the combination of athleticism and beauty that makes ballet not just an art, but a difficult art

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Just because it's difficult doesn't mean it's a sport. I would say it's a respectable hobby, or as anon above me said, "art form".

by Anonymous 13 years ago

How many fucking times will we have to go over this? Dance isn't a sport because the scoring is arbitrary and based on a judges opinion, and there is no interactive play. Yes it takes skill and athletescism and all that but it's not a sport, it's a performing art.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

There is a reason why so many football players are also dancers. The training for ballet/dance is way more intense than any other sport, and football players/other athletes benefit from the workout. Also, there are many dance competitions where there is scoring and when two people work together to create a beautiful dance, that can be considered "teamwork". I believe dance is both an art form and a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Hard work doesn't make it a sport. And the point I was making wasn't about teamwork, it was about how in dance one dancer or group of dancers sit on the sidelines while the other one performs (emphasis on PERFORMS). In a sport, people compete at the same time at the same place with their opponents.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

What would you say are the criteria for something to be called a sport?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

you keep saying "this DOESN'T make it a sport." So what DOES make something a sport? Also, one dancers performing while others sit out doesn't apply to every performance. There are plenty performances, especially those that aren't strictly professional, where there are large groups of dancers where each person's movements complement all of the others'.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

No, the reason football players take dance/ballet is for balance, not because it's a hard workout. I do agree that dance is a sport though.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

but isnt that how skating is judged? and a lot of olympic events?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Skating isn't a sport. And they're the Olympic GAMES, not the Olympic Sports.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

you don't have to have "interactive play" for something to be a sport. swimming is a sport and the only thing a swimmer interacts with is the water. in addition to that, aren't refs sort of like judges. they get to choose if something is fair or not/if a rule was broken. and many refs make bad calls. in baseball, people are called out when they were safe, or strikes may be called balls. this happens in most sports. so by that logic, any sport with a ref isn't a sport either.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

In swimming, the athletes are directly racing each other in the same pool at the same time. Direct play would have been a better choice of words. Refs make simple yes or no calls based on video evidence. You'll never hear an NFL ref say "After review, the ruling on the field stands. It's a touchdown. However, the receiver ran his route a little sloppy, so we are awarding 5 out of 6 points."

by Anonymous 13 years ago

i see your point, but refs sometimes make the wrong call. in addition, judges base their scores on how well someone did a certain move. if a dancer doesn't point their toe up while doing an arabesque, they are doing the move wrong, so they lose points. and they are competing against other dancers. let's say one dancer received a score of a 9.8, and another of a 9.7. the dancer with the 9.8 would win. just like in swimming - if one swimmer gets a time of 1:23, and another gets a time of 1:21, the second would win. both the dancers and the swimmers are competing against others. also, if a baseball player fumbles with the ball, it's considered an error, regardless of how good the throw was. (sorry i'm not continuing with your football example, i don't know much about football)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

That's true, but there is still a big difference between refs and judges. The points in figure skating and dancing are at least partially arbitrary.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

as a former figure skater, i do agree that they are arbitrary. but, at least in my opinion, i don't believe that being arbitrary means something can't be a sport. oh well, it's a debate that will go on forever.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

@986831 (BreakfastFan): skating is a game?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Figure skating is a performing art, like dancing.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

pftt you said game :P

by Anonymous 13 years ago

No, I said that they're called the Olympic Games. Obviously Basketball and Hockey are not just games. I'm only saying that everything in the Olympics isn't automatically a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

hey! let me be a smart ass.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

NO U

by Anonymous 13 years ago

What about running? It may not always have a goal or a definitive ending point, but it's still a sport...

by Anonymous 12 years ago

people don't realize the commitment and intensity of this sport but we work harder than most teams and for longer and we compete so i don't understand why some schools and such consider it an "activity" we're not arts and crafts dang it!!!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Hard work =/= Sport

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I suppose singing and acting are also sports?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

singing and acting don't require the strength and athleticism that dancing does.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Dancing is an ART form. Most people do it for fun. Some people do it for competition. That's only showing that they have passion for their TALENT. Sports are when they have a rules system set up that everyone follows. Dance is determined by judges, therefore is not a sport. Too many people associate dance with being for fun and an activity for it to ever be a sport. Now gymnastics is a sport. I will agree with that.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

How is gymnastics a sport, but dance isn't? Heard of dance competitions?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Dance is still an art form, not a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Then what's the difference, you like gymnastics better than you like dance? They both fit the same criteria, it makes no sense for you to say one is a sport and one's not.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

No no no, its a form of ART. If dance is considered a sport, then football should be considered an art form. I'm not saying dancing is easy, I know its not. But being physically demanding doesn't make it a sport. I mean, what's next? Is yoga a sport too?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

there are no yoga competitions, at least not that I've heard of. And why can't something be an art form and a sport at the same time? And if dance is considered a sport, no football should not be considered an art form. Art is where you express yourself. Football isn't really that expressive.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

COD should be a sport too, its really tough on your eyes

by Anonymous 13 years ago

a sport is defined as an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc. dancing requires sill and physical prowess. it's a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

you know, when you copy from Dictionary.com you should at least credit your source. But I totally agree.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

For it to be a sport, there has to be a defense. You wouldn't say yoga is a sport, would you?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Golf is a sport. Luge is a sport. Skiing is a sport. Swimming is a sport. None of those have teams or individuals directly working against each other, they're just trying to be better than everyone else. Not arguing one way or another, just saying your point is invalid.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Swimming doesn't have teams? *facepalm* Have you ever heard of a relay?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

"teams or individuals directly working against each other" i'm assuming the poster means to say that while someone is swimming a 500 free, the rest of their team isn't holding the other swimmers back and preventing them from out-swimming anyone.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

@987158 (reeree): You can swim without swimming on a team, and it's still a sport.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I'm a dancer and even I agree that it is not a sport. There is no exact point system where if you spin and kick this long, you get so many points. It's judged and scored differently than sports. It is extremely difficult and a much better workout than most sports but that is not enough for it to qaulify as one. Just because an activity is listed under the sport category does not make it better than another activity. A lot of people claim dance is a sport because they think people will say it's less difficult if it's not considered one. Ping pong is an Olympic sport and even though it's not my place to say wether it is easier or harder than dance, the fact still stands that it is called a sport because it has an exact scoring system. Dancing is not a sport, it's something much better :P

by Anonymous 13 years ago

"Dancing is not a sport, it's something much better." My opinion exactly. Dancing is better than, harder than, more expressive than a sport. You have to rely on your own creativity and skills, rather than leaning on a set of rules to follow. The freedom, and at the same time, the dependence on one's strength and creativity and strength would overwhelm those who boast their skills in actual sports.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Do they sell dancing supplies at Dick's SPORTING Goods store? I think not..

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Actually.... at my local sports authority, they sell a limited selection of dance shoes. "dancing supplies"? *facepalm*

by Anonymous 12 years ago

sport |spôrt| noun 1 an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment : team Competition dance is a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

math takes a lot of hard work but it is not a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

It's good excercise.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

whoever says that ballet is not a sport has obviously never tried it.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Exactally!! It takes aLOT of hard work and dedication!!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So does doing homework, but I don't see anyone calling that a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

facepalm

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I'd like to see you try pointe then.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I can't. I'd like to see you play disgustingly long concertos. You can't. That doesn't make playing violin a sport either.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I think what they meant was *physical* dedication, endurance, etc.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Dance is an art form. Just because dance isn't a sport doesn't mean it's easier.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Since when are ballet and pointe two different things?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Since you wear different shoes? It's kinda the same except pointe is harder and you dance on the very top of your toes AND you wear pointe shoes instead of flats!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Umm.. Ever go to a thing called a ballet? All the girls are on pointe. Trust me, I've danced in enough to know that

by Anonymous 13 years ago

So have I I'm a dancer!? But just bacause all the dancers in a ballet are on pointe dosent mean that ballet and pointe arent different

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Pointe is simply a subdivision of ballet. All pointe is ballet, but not all ballet is point. It's as simple as that.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yes! Thank you! Haha that is exzactally what I was trying to say

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Any time. :)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Not necessarily all pointe. My dance school does jazz on pointe as well. Classical pointe is ballet.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

pointe is a FORM of ballet

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I absolutely agree that dancing is hard, requires talent and commitment, and requires intensive training. That does not make it a sport. Besides, why does everyone insist that people recognize it as a sport? Does that change what people think of it? Does labeling it a sport make it "better" in any way?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

dance can be a sport if it's competitive. otherwise, i wouldn't consider it a sport. i'm a dancer, but not a competitive one, but i might loosely refer to dance as my sport. i guess my point is, it can be or can't be, and who really cares? why is this important enough to even argue about?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

sport- an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature going by that logic, competitve dance definitely is a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

No doubt someones already said this, but to be a sport, it must also have a set scoring system. dance has no scoring system. unless they count how many moves you do, then it's a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

the number of moves have nothing to do with it, it's the quality of the moves, and those definitely have a set scoring system.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

COMPETITIVE dance is definitely a sport. If its not competitive then it is not a sport. It does not matter how much "hard work" or "dedication" it takes, just dancing isn't a sport. Just face it. And whoever said cheerleading isn't a sport is insane. Cheerleading is the 3rd most dangerous SPORT in the world, has been OFFICIALLY recognized as a sport and competitive cheerleading is more physically demanding than any other sport out there and is most definitely harder than "dancing"

by Anonymous 13 years ago

COMPETITIVE dance is definitely a sport. If its not competitive then it is not a sport. It does not matter how much "hard work" or "dedication" it takes, just dancing isn't a sport. Just face it. And whoever said cheerleading isn't a sport is insane. Cheerleading is the 3rd most dangerous SPORT in the world, has been OFFICIALLY recognized as a sport and competitive cheerleading is more physically demanding than any other sport out there and is most definitely harder than "dancing"

by Anonymous 13 years ago

COMPETITIVE dance is definitely a sport. If its not competitive then it is not a sport. It does not matter how much "hard work" or "dedication" it takes, just dancing isn't a sport. Just face it. And whoever said cheerleading isn't a sport is insane. Cheerleading is the 3rd most dangerous SPORT in the world, has been OFFICIALLY recognized as a sport and competitive cheerleading is more physically demanding than any other sport out there and is most definitely harder than "dancing"

by Anonymous 13 years ago

why the sneer quotes around dancing? Cheerleading and dancing are equal in my eyes, in terms of both difficulty and danger of injury.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Football, basketball, tennis. Those are sports. Things like ballet and ice skating are art.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Figure skating is in the winter olympics, so actually it is a sport; however I agree that ballet is not a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

they are called the olympic games not the olympic sports and since figure skating doesnt have and objective scoring system, its not technically a sport

by Anonymous 12 years ago

its an insult to say its a sport. im a dancer, and i say its an art!! its prettier than a sport!!!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

does it really matter? Different people say different things and flaming at each other isn't going to change anyone else's opinion it's just going to make everyone more deffencive

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Its a competition. Not a sport.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Okay lets end this Websters defines a sport as such: "A sport is an organized, competitive, entertaining, and skillful activity requiring commitment, strategy, and fair play, in which a winner can be defined by objective means." Did you see that OBJECTIVE means. therefore dance is not a sport, not even competitive dance. Dance does however require much commitment. it is in now way better or worse, more difficult or easier, than any other sport, it just requires a different skill set. Dance is a performing art.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

but dancing is judged objectively as well as subjectively: if a move isn't completed properly or is executed sloppily then points are taken off a performance.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yes in some aspects, it is judged objectively, but for example, when judging a routine three judges can have three completely different opinions of the performance and will be subjected to how the judges viewed the performance. Say a person does the exact same routine as someone earlier in the competition, they will get scored lower or by at least one if not all of the judges for lack of creativity or style. However in a sport, like football a wide receiver can run a route and score a touchdown. the same exact route can be run on consecutive drives scoring a touchdown and they offense will be awarded the exact same number of points because its objective. Another example is that if a two dancers perform two separate routines and one is a clearly superior routine the latter routine will be the victor. However in say, soccer one goal can be a back flip bicycle kick of a cross that completely stuns the keeper and gives them the win as time runs out, and the opposing team can score a unimpressive goal that barely beats the keeper on a penalty kick, and although the former is a clearly superior goal they both are awarded the same amount of points because Soccer is objectively scored....

by Anonymous 12 years ago

i'm a dancer and i don't think dance is a sport. i think it's an art form. just because something's physically exhausting doesn't mean it's a sport. dance doesn't have a scoring system, or an objective.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

waitwaitwait...dance doesn't have an objective??? Really???? Then why do you dance at all, if you think dance doesn't have an objective?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I am a semi-professional ballerina... I would not call ballet a sport. Yes it is very straining and athletic. But to call it a sport would take away from the beauty of it.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I've been in ballet my whole life and I don't believe it's a sport. Sport requires competition and scoring. I believe competitive dance (like on a dance team) is a sport, much like competitive cheerleading.

by Anonymous 12 years ago