Dance tends to occupy a strange middle ground when it comes to sports—somewhere between expression and athleticism. It is a program at most performing arts schools (such as LaGuardia High School), so it can definitely be classified as a performing art. What differentiates dance from other arts, though, is the intense physical requirements it demands. From technique to artistry to tricks, dance involves every part of the individual—not only the body, but also the mind. It serves to entertain the audience during a professional performance or even on a recreational level. However, there are also competitions in which dancers are judged and there is a winner and a loser.

I will admit—as a dancer, I definitely have my own opinion and I understand both sides of the debate. While recreational soccer would still be considered a sport by most, recreational dance would not. This is because there is no competition at this level of dance, whereas recreational soccer tends to still have games. This applies to most “sports,” especially those that include a ball, as the definition of a sport is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill, esp. (particularly in modern use) one regulated by set rules or customs in which an individual or team competes against another or others” (Oxford English Dictionary). Competitive dance clearly fits the bill, since an individual or team competes, the rules and scoring are pretty consistent, and the activity involves physical exertion and skill. Recreational dance, though, loses the competitive aspect, which means that it defies the definition of a sport.

The Olympic requirements for what it takes for a pastime to be considered a sport are lengthy, including global impact, ethical concerns, and well-established rules. While dance definitely has global recognition and (hopefully) ethics, its rules can be subjective and left to the opinions of the judges. Additionally, in the 2024 Olympics, breakdancing was included as a sport. This proves that at least some types of dance are sports. However, according to Art de Ballet, “Ballet faces challenges in becoming an Olympic sport, such as subjective judging, standardizing rules, and maintaining artistic integrity.” This means that even though breakdancing was deemed a sport that fits the well established rules criteria, other types of dance such as ballet do not. 

I interviewed Ms. Downey, who coaches the HSMSE dance team (talk to Ms. Downey if you’re interested in joining, they practice first lunch and it is an elective!). Ms. Downey explains that “Certain types of dance should be considered a sport, including competition dance involving judges. Dance requires skill and technique and takes a huge toll on a dancer’s body.” When asked what makes dance challenging, she made many of the same points, adding “You only have three minutes to dance to the very best of your ability, and there are no second chances. Dance took the largest toll on my body out of all of the sports I’ve played.” She acknowledged that dance is different from other sports, as “Dance is also an art—it takes more than just being good at skills, which is all that most sports require. You also have to be creative and have good artistry and perform. Being a choreographer is in some ways harder than being a coach too. You have to create pieces that match the level of your dancers that still entertain the crowd.”

I also spoke to Esther Gould (’27), asking the same questions. She added that “Dance is so hard because you have to make it look effortless and pretty and perfect even when you feel like you’re dying. You need to look graceful even when you’re out of breath.” When asked if dance should be widely considered as a sport, she stated, “Yes, 100%. Dance is way too difficult to not be considered a sport.”

Overall, I can understand why dance wouldn’t be considered a sport. The rules are subjective, and it involves a lot of creativity and expression, which most other sports don’t. However, similar artistry is required in gymnastics, and many dancers do a lot of tricks that gymnasts do. Dance requires a high level of athleticism and performance and, as Esther said, is so difficult. Dance rarely gets the recognition it deserves, and I personally think that it should count as a sport. Regardless of what you think after reading this article, I hope you learned about the difficulty of dance. Even if you don’t think it’s a sport, understand that dancers should be considered athletes.