Should Dance Be Considered A Sport?
sport
/spôrt/
noun
- an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
When you think about sports, what comes to your mind first? Many people say basketball, football, soccer, swimming, and tennis, but have you ever heard them put dance into that category? The answer is a solid no, and I believe otherwise.
The Park Hill South Dance Team has the same components as any other sport has. Including having to have mental, physical, and emotional strength.
Instead of being specifically just a winter/fall/or spring activity, they go all year round. Starting in the summer, and ending towards the end of the school year.
Just like any other sport, they practice a lot. 10-15 hours a week. When nationals comes around the corner, it can range up to 15-20 hours a week plus many extra practices if needed.
The SSG’S cheer on all South teams throughout the year, while also preparing for their competition season. From having to do things like performing in front of their whole school to learn several dances, it takes someone with a lot of mental strength to endure that pressure.
When it comes to dance, having stamina is the key to success. In order to have “good stamina” you have to be in tip top shape in order to have the ability to run your dances over and over again. Ways they are able to keep it up are cardio, running, weights, and aerobic exercises.
There are different styles of dance that the team does. For example, their national dances are jazz and hip hop. During those 2 minutes of the dance you have to express emotion to give the audience the full effect.
At the end of the day, whether you call dance a sport or not, one thing you can say is it is unique from the others. It is not just a sport, but also an art form.