Dance is first and foremost an art form. From its origins in earliest human civilization, dance has been an outlet for expression, for emotions, and for creativity. Its inclusion in ceremonies, rituals, and celebrations is a long-standing tradition, as is its role in storytelling and performance. Yet, as we progress into the modern era, so does dance. Dance, although still a vital component of cultural and celebratory life, has moved to the major leagues, so to speak. Dancers have become competitive. We see dance judged on technique, choreography, style, performance; we see dancers being cut left and right from audition after audition. It is no wonder that people have begun to question the merits of dance as an art form: pure emotion, creativity, virtuosity, and free of competition. It is not surprising that in some eyes, dance is lowered to the artistic value of a competitive sport due to dance’s growing competitive nature. But, at its roots, dance is an art, not a sport; it just requires a tremendous amount of athletic skill.
In some cases, dance is being considered a sport: an egotistical, back-flip-filled sport. The dance industry continues to criticize the fake, plastered smile on the face of dance teams across America; but the worst part is that some people are only exposed to trick-filled, competitive dancing. One of the most culpable outlets of dance has been the competition circuit. Its adjudication of dance and sense of competition creates more of a sport-based activity than an art. For three leading dance competitions, JUMP Dance Convention, New York City Dance Alliance, and NUVO Dance Convention, 50% of adjudication is based solely on technique. Only 20% apiece of the final score is based on performance and choreography (with 10% dedicated to appearance). The routines are then given a numerical score, which translates into a medal, a cash prize, or a title. As a result, many dance studios begin to focus more on tricks and trophies rather than honing their artistry and developing their students to become better dancers. The presence of awards and judges also fuels the over-competitive spirit in dancers. Often times, walking into the dressing room of any dance competition is reminiscent of walking into the hairspray-ed, perfumed, stage-mommy-filled pageant scene of pure, cutthroat competition. In the competition and convention circuit, dance is perceived as a sport, in the sense of being an activity in which an individual or team competes against another with the intent of winning.
But, it is not to say that dance is not athletic. The definitions of “sport” and “athlete” are very different. According to Oxford English Dictionary, a “sport” is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual… competes against another.” An athlete is “a person who is proficient in… forms of exercise.” Any professional dancer falls within the category of “athlete”. As expressed by Kathryn McCormick (SYTYCD, 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Fame 2009), “dance [is] looked over [for] being a sport because of [its] beauty, but under all the graceful movement [is] hard work!” What most people do not know is that a dancer’s physical ability is equal to or surpasses the ability of a college-level or professional athlete. A recent article in Dance Magazine (Leveling the Playing Field; December 2010) reveals that in a competition between the dancers of ODC/Dance in San Francisco and the athletes of University of California, Berkeley, ODC dancers beat out the college-level athletes 3 years out of the 4 years the competition has been held. The ODC dancers were proven “faster, stronger, and more agile” (Dance). And just this past fall, Lauren Froderman (SYTYCD) became the first dance athlete to represent Gatorade; Lauren joined the ranks along with top professional athletes like Serena Williams, Usain Bolt, and Derek Jeter. For most professional dancers like Lauren, Kathryn, and the ODC/Dance Company, days are long and grueling. Guillermo Asca (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) tells Dance “[the dance] season is all year round… [Our] days are seven or eight hours long, and then [we’re] going to the gym, Pilates, or the pool before or after the actual rehearsal and performance… In sports, the downtime is greater because the season is usually only a few months long. Their practices tend to run three hours, with massage after and then some weight lifting.” Clearly, dancers are tired of being handed the short end of the stick when it comes to physical ability.
And the professional dancers are not the only ones fed up with it; Crystal Springs Uplands School’s dancers are just as upset about not being taken seriously. Alexandra Kereszti ’12, a dancer in Dance Production, says, “dance is most definitely athletic… so many people [do not] take it seriously and [do not] understand how hard [dance] is.” Other students at Crystal may disagree. “It [is] an art form. [It is] not [athletic],” states Hannah Kaiser ’13. Hannah is not involved in the dance program at Crystal, and plays three competitive sports a year. When six non-dancers at Crystal were asked whether they considered dance a sport or an art form, four answered that dance is an art form. Out of those four students, three believed dance should not be considered a sport or be considered athletic. One student even replied that “[dance] does not look that hard” and that “[dance] is weird[,] squiggly movements all over a stage.” Now, when five dancers at Crystal were asked the same question, all dancers agreed that professional dance demands high athleticism. Maggie Fongheiser, Head of the Fine Arts Department and dance teacher, requires all students in Performance Dance, Advanced Dance Performance, and Dance Production to take multiple technique and style classes outside of school, as well as to visit the fitness center several times a week to build up muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility. Just like any athletic coach, she wishes to prepare her students for a future in athletic ability, exercise, and in her case, dance.
Despite dance’s athletic qualities, it is, as mentioned before, first and foremost an art form. Its ability to convey and inspire emotions, to tell a story without words, to reach out to so many people of any age, race, creed, or background sets it apart from the world of sports. As put by Vijay Masharani ’13, “[dance] is an art form because it is centered around aesthetics – what makes art art is its quality of being beautiful by evoking an emotional response in the viewer or listener.” Billy Bell (SYTYCD, Lunge Dance Collective, Julliard) says it best: “[It’s] an art. [It’s] a physical art. [It’s] harder than sports.” Here is why. Dance brings together two of the most respected skills in the world: athleticism and artistry. Without either, true dance does not exist. The best and most admired dancers are both disciplined athletes and gifted artists.
So here is the conclusion. Dance is not a sport; it does not require competition. It does not call for winners and losers. There are no first-draft picks, tournaments, or ESPN. Dances are stories to be told, pictures to be painted, and dancers hold the brush. Dance is an art, and quite possibly the most difficult art there is.
