“Dance is not a sport,” is the phrase a dancer will often hear in their lives. Many dancers often hear this when they themselves refer to dance as a sport, but others do not refer to it as a sport. Many people have their own opinion on what exactly is a sport or if something is just an activity or hobby. The definition of a sport, by the Oxford dictionary, is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Individuals count activities such as football or basketball as sports, because it is normal for us too call them sports, it is our label for them. However, when it comes to dance, the label is weary.

 Many dancers often feel left out or ashamed for being a dancer, because if someone is a dancer, people who are not dancers do not understand or care enough for the accomplishments a dancer has. Many dancers consider dance a sport, because they pay just as much, or even more, than what people consider a sport. They also can receive serious injuries that could lead them to not dance anymore, just like what people would consider a sport, such as football. Sophomore, Olivia Wurtz, has been a dancer since she was seven. Dance is her passion, and it means so much to her as an individual, so she strongly believes that dance is a sport.

“I 100% believe dance is a sport. My definition of a sport is the amount of work and dedication a team or an individual person will put in order to get the job done, and I believe that dance is just that. Dance is my home away from home, and it is my passion, so when people say it is not a sport, I get so offended. I think people do not understand how much goes into a dance and how much effort it takes to do learn competition dances and perform them, it is hard,” Wurtz said.

 A reason why people consider dance a sport is how much work goes into the dances themselves. Work ethic and teamwork is what puts a team together, because if one person does not do their job or work hard, then the whole team suffers. This happens in dance as well, because if one person does not come to practice, then that slows the whole team down, because to create a dance, you need everyone to participate in order to be a team. Dancers mental toughness is very strong, due to dancers having to maintain their ability to work hard and dedicate themselves to hours of dance each night just for one dance or even four dances. However, many people think that dance is not a sport, because they do not work as hard as people who are in activities such as football or basketball. Sophomore, Ryan Ford, believes that dance can be a sport, because as a tennis player, he understands why people are arguing about it not being a sport. 

 “I believe dance is a sport. Dance is that type of activity where you have to work to get the job done. Dance has competitions that are hard to win, and not many people understand that. Work ethic and dedication is what puts a dance in the number one spot of what is considered a sport,” Ford said.

Another reason why people consider dance a sport is because of its many injuries. Dancers can get very serious injuries, such as damaging their back or breaking their foot. If a dancer breaks their foot, they are unable to dance, because as a dancer, you are always on your feet. Many activities such as basketball need the ability to use their feet as well, but they are not gracefully dancing across a stage for people to see them. A lot of sports use the ability of their feet to do everything involved within the sport. Sophomore, Ella Thompson, has been in sports medicine and is interested in going to college for it. Thompson learns how to help people with sprained ankles or broken fingers in the sports that she is involved in, so she understands how serious injuries can be. 

“Getting an injury is serious, really serious. Many professional athletes who hurt themselves badly are unable to participate in that sport anymore. For a dancer, I think getting an injury in a foot is pretty serious, because it could cause them to never do what they have a passion to do, just like if someone in football or basketball would get the same injury,” Thompson said. 

 Even though some people do not consider dance as a sport, still so many people do. Dance is all about dedication and hard work, just like other sports, such as soccer or golf. Many injuries can happen in dance that could cause dancers to never dance again, just like some injuries could cause a football player to never play again. Dance is a passion for people, and they dedicate themselves for every dance they do, just like anyone who would put into a game.