Do you think dance is a sport?

            To me dance is a sport. The definition of a sport is an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. A lot people think if there’s no ball in the activity you do, it’s not a sport. Well, last time I checked boxing doesn’t involve a ball but it’s considered a sport. Being a dancer requires physical strength, flexibility, a good memory and of course your passion for dance. There are so many dancers in the world that can do about 12 pirouettes in a row. A pirouette is when you are turning in place on one foot. The only way to get to that level is by having skill. Skill isn’t something you’re born with; skill is the ability to do something well with all the special training and practice you go through. Go ahead and see how many pirouettes you can do. I know a lot of non-dancers myself and whenever I ask them to do a pirouette, they always tumble to one side on their first try. If you ever fall or do something wrong on your first try in soccer or cheerleading, do you get up and try it again and again until you get it perfectly? Yes! Dancers do the same thing; they fall and get hurt but it doesn’t stop them from getting back up and trying it again. All athletes have endurance. Dancers have legs like soccer players and strength like football players, what makes them so different? Desire is one reason I believe dance is considered a sport. When other athletes don’t get something the first time, they don’t give up. Neither do dancers. So many dancers have desire to do 12 pirouettes in a row or to hold your leg straight towards your head for a minute without touching it. Dedication is what leads you towards all those challenges you want to accomplish. You also need determination and the ability to push your body past its comfort zone. A lot of dancers compete in competitions against other dancers including myself. Dancers compete in the same way soccer players compete against other teams. You need to be focused and have coordination in order to win. All athletes strive to win and they won’t give up until they have succeeded. Dancers practice year round like some other sports. We practice daily for hours and hours and come back the next day and do it all over. We sweat, we cry, we get hurt, but we live for what we do. We work with a team and we always cheer them on. We put as much time, effort, and commitment as any other sport. Dancers are just like other athletes.