The Sport of Dancing
Courtney Packwood
ENG-106/Professor Zafonte
March 17, 2013

Dancers should be considered athletes as well as artists. Dancers must use their bodies to express emotions, tell a story, commit to years of physical training, develop stamina, work as a team, take care of their bodies, stretch to prevent injuries, and enter into competitions against other dancers. They deserve to be helped at the athletic office. The dance education majors are not even allowed to ask for an ice pack from the athletic trainers. Members of the Grand Canyon University Dance Team are considered athletes, while the Dance Education majors are not. Both programs involve dance training but yet the school team is the only one of the two that reaps the benefits of being an athlete. The label of dancing being an art or sport has been questioned for decades now but no one has given it a definitive answer. When looking up the definition for athlete, several interpretations are given; overall, the main idea of an athlete being, “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina” according to the Webster dictionary. When comparing this definition to dancers, it is clear that they meet each of those standards. So, why are dancers being denied help from the athletic training office when they demonstrate comparable abilities in physical training, competition, teamwork, and dedication; just as much as any of the athletic teams on campus?
All athletes go through physical training to better themselves in their sport. Just as athletes, dancers have to go through hours of training a week. In order to perform at a skill level required to compete in athletics individuals must commit a great deal of their lives to their training, “with a finite amount of time available for training, both athletes and dancers are required to balance the amount of work done between strength and fitness and that of skill acquisition” (Allen & Wyon, 2008). It takes years of training and practice for a dancer to develop technique and skill, and even then it is hard to make it into the professional world. Dancers take their work very seriously, similar to athletes; they work themselves to the point of fatigue. Most people have no idea how dangerous dancing can be. Dance is an extremely physical, and at times, painful sport; especially for ballet dancers that use pointe shoes. A pointe shoe is a ballet slipper with a wooden box that covers the dancer’s toes, and most of the movement done in these shoes is literally on the tips of their toes. Let’s see Larry Fitzgerald or LeBron James do that. To advanced dancers with years of training under their tutus; dancing in pointe shoes is an accepted pain that is hardly noticeable. “Dancers have the mentality that they don't want to stop dancing because, in many cases, they are used to pain and they tend to dance through injuries. Often dancers don't seek medical help for a minor injury, and then the condition becomes chronic and harder to resolve” (Cheskin, 2009). Dancer’s work through pain in order to perform, just as any athlete does, it is what they love; it is their passion.
When most people think of dancers, their minds go to television shows like Dancing with the Stars, or So You Think You Can Dance. Both shows are considered competitive; the most entertaining, skilled, and technical dancer wins. This is the nature of how the majority of dancers make a living. Dancers compete against each other for jobs, money, and placement in a company. Dancers that grow up in a studio or academy environment typically have been exposed to dance competitions at a young age. Dance competitions can be just as cutthroat as any sporting event. The competitive pressure from parents (overbearing “dance moms”) is just as strong in dance as any other sport. Competitive dancing is also a venue for scouting. Elite dance competitions give dancers the opportunity to perform in hopes of peaking the interest of recruiters and talent scouts. Kathryn Holmes, New York writer and professional dancer states, “ballet competitions are designed to showcase the most promising ballet dancers in the world” (2012). Dancers can also receive scholarships, money, and awards during these competitions.
Similar to a player on a football team, dancers that work on stage for Broadway musicals, or any other productions, must work together as a team to achieve the best outcome. For dancers that are in ensembles or professional companies, working together is vital to achieve synchronization. For dancers who are performing as partners; team work is imperative for the safety of both dancers. Time and dedication has to be equally given by the troupe in order to show professionalism and unity. One study conducted by sports medicine experts Nick Allen and Matthew Wyon led to the conclusion that dancers spend the majority of their time training; “Our prospective study was based on a year that entailed 25 weeks of rehearsal and 22 weeks of performances, totaling 150 performances throughout the season. During a rehearsal period a dancer may complete up to one hour of class, encompassing both technical and physical training, followed by up to six hours of rehearsals” (2008).
Dancers are usually regarded as artists because in the professional world, dancing is a showcase. Whether it is portraying the romantic story of Romeo and Juliet or a kick line with fellow rockettes, dancers perform to entertain. The competitive side of dancing is normally done between the ages of nine to eighteen. Even though a dancer’s main focus is not solely on muscle building and having the ability to throw or hit a ball, they still condition themselves to be physically fit. A dancer’s core must be strong for balance, move with agility, and graceful in their physical prowess; they must be an artist as well as an athlete.
Through all of their efforts to become the best they can be, dance education majors must demonstrate passion, be in great physical condition, compete against each other in auditions to be placed in ensemble pieces, train for hours daily, and show each other support to further strengthen the unity of the GCU program. Even if they are not a school team, they still are representatives of GCU. Dance majors train their bodies for physical stamina, muscle memory, and dedicate more hours than most athletes to improve their abilities. Therefore dancers should be able to receive assistance in the athletic trainers’ office. Dancers in general should be considered athletes. Any acknowledged athlete that disagrees is welcome to spend a day with us to see how they fare.

References:
Allen, N., & Wyon, M. (2008). Dance medicine: Artist or athlete?. SportEX Medicine, (35), 6-9. http://ehis.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=36b2c106- a77f-4613-a726-b94f8b01a8b1@sessionmgr12&vid=4&hid=3 (retrieved 02/27/2013)
Cheskin, M. (2009). Professional dancers: athletes or artists?. Podiatry Management, 28(8), 141. http://ehis.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/eds/detail?vid=8&sid=36b2c106-a77f- 4613-a726- b94f8b01a8b1%40sessionmgr12&hid=115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=rzh&AN=2010449830 (retrieved 03/08/2013)
Holmes, K. (2012). More Precious than the Gold--A Contract. Dance Magazine, 86(10), 36. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ee5ea42c-8125- 48da-bbd2-2a657b898b2d%40sessionmgr110&vid=3&hid=2 (retrieved 03/10/2013)