It's really strange while interviewing some students at my high school (Kentridge) it occurred to me that all 15 of the males that I asked, If dance was a sport, answered with a NO. When asking them why they replied with, "They don't have dance on espn, and you cant compete in dance." I don't know about anyone else but I know I have seen dance competitions on espn. But anywayz when I asked the 11 girls if the considered dance a sport 5 replied with a yes (those 5 are on my schools dance team) and 6 replied with no, its a hobby. I always got angry when people wouldn't consider dance as a sport. What can sportsman do that dancers cant do? I mean really, put me on a football field and see how I do. I might not make ever field goal or make a touchdown but I bet I'll do better than you think. Then put a football player in a dance class room. Lets see them try and do three turns on 1 foot!
SPORT(sport) n. 1 active play, a game, etc. Taken up for exercise or pleasure and sometimes, as a profession: football, golf, bowling, and swimming are sports.
-Webster's New World Dictionary
After thinking I realized that there is a very big difference between dance and sports I think. Dance is MUCH more challenging in many reasons. One of them being this...
In sports you try-out to do one thing. In football, you have your running backs quarterbacks halfbacks etc. In basketball you have your point guard, shooting guard, forward, center, small forward etc. In soccer you got forwards, midfielders, goalies, defenders etc. In dance you have...THE DANCER. You don't have the turner or the splits man or the jumper or whatever. Everyone does everything. Everyone works that much harder. You have to be able to do EVERYTHING, and there is A LOT to do.
Another difference is...in sports there is always the IDOL. I mean dance has PLENTY of idols but in sports its sort of like the best dunker the best goalie the best field goal kicker. Everyone looks up to that person. Its sort of like for sports, once you hit the top, there's nothing else for you to do. You've made it. Your the best and that's all there is. Since your better than everyone else there is really nothing left for you to do. In dance its not like that. There is no top, there is no best. If you by chance get to the top there is always people right under you who if they sneeze will rise above you. Everyone is fighting for the ONE title, and when you have hundreds and hundreds of people fighting for the same thing, there's no best, there's no stopping at the top, there is no top, there's just dance.
I guess in the end you really cant classify dance as a sport. You sort of have to classify it as dance. Dance has been around forever and it will probably still be around until the end of time. Its what keeps everyone sane I think. I think its beyond sports and games, its a way of living. Like some say... dance is a life form :-)
Another difference is...in sports there is always the IDOL. I mean dance has PLENTY of idols but in sports its sort of like the best dunker the best goalie the best field goal kicker. Everyone looks up to that person. Its sort of like for sports, once you hit the top, there's nothing else for you to do. You've made it. Your the best and that's all there is. Since your better than everyone else there is really nothing left for you to do. In dance its not like that. There is no top, there is no best. If you by chance get to the top there is always people right under you who if they sneeze will rise above you. Everyone is fighting for the ONE title, and when you have hundreds and hundreds of people fighting for the same thing, there's no best, there's no stopping at the top, there is no top, there's just dance.
I guess in the end you really cant classify dance as a sport. You sort of have to classify it as dance. Dance has been around forever and it will probably still be around until the end of time. Its what keeps everyone sane I think. I think its beyond sports and games, its a way of living. Like some say... dance is a life form :-)
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