An age-old and controversial topic in the dance world has long been whether dancers can be considered athletes. Through the definition of athletes and dancers, the professional views and qualities of dancers and athletes, dancers can be considered equal to, or even a little superior to, the "standard" athlete. This argument has been debated for over a decade, and much evidence has been found supporting both views, although the conclusion that dancers are indeed athletes is much stronger, with better reasoning and superior evidence . Dancers are actually the epitome of an artistic athlete as they encompass many traits of both an artist and an athlete. It is shameful not to classify them as athletes, or to consider them inferior to recognized "athletes", such as a footballer or soccer player, because they share many common characteristics. Although many people think that professional "athletes" like Rob Gronkowski or LeBron James are worth more than dancers like Sonya Tayeh, Travis Wall or Mikhail Baryshnikov, countless experts believe that these two have more similarities that unite them instead of separating them. All the qualities, abilities and requirements that you can undoubtedly recognize in a "typical" athlete can be found by looking at a dancer's performance and training. Dancers should then undoubtedly be included in the category of “athletes,” as they share a similar definition, professional endorsement, and multiple and identical attributes and requirements. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Dancers and the “typical” athlete look a lot alike once you look at the definition of their profession. A dancer is described as “a person who dances or whose profession it is to dance” (Google), and dance is expressed as “the movement of the body in a rhythmic manner, usually to the sound of music and in a given space, for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy or simply taking pleasure in the movement itself” (Britannica). Meanwhile, an athlete is described as "a person who has mastered sports and other forms of physical exercise" (Google), and sport is expressed as "physical competitions pursued for the goals and challenges they comprise. Sports are part of the past and present of every culture, but each culture has its own definition of sport. The most useful definitions are those which clarify the relationship between sport and play, games and competitions” (Britannica). As you can see, the definition of an athlete is simply described as being competent in sport and physical exercise is very similar to the definitions of dancing and dancers. According to the popular definition, dance should therefore be considered a sport because it is, without doubt or reasonable argument, a physical action or movement that encourages the pursuit of goals and challenges, as well as the release of energy. Athletes, on the other hand, like football or basketball players, usually start their sport with a simple game, at school as a physical education requirement or as a light hobby or street game, when they are children, 1 or 2 days a week, 1 to 2 hours each. day until the age of 35 (Chrome (average end of career for athletes)). Once pre-professional, the dancers have similar characteristics and are both extremely demanding. One of the differences isin the fact that dancers start younger than the typical athlete. Athletes and dancers are both amazing, as shown by their definition. Therefore, dancers should be considered athletes. Many dance professionals and critics have agreed that a dancer should be considered an athlete as well as an artist and have provided significant evidence to support this point. claim. Dance critics such as New York Times critic Alastair Macaulay and New Yorker critic Joan Acocella have described the dance world as "elegant and athletic" (DanceConsortium) and these dance company dancers blockbusters like the NYC Ballet of Joffrey praised their “athletic beauty” and “athletic feats” (DanceConsortium). Dance professionals, such as Travis Wall and Many Moore, have recognized dancers for both their classical and technical abilities as well as their athletic abilities. Dancers and athletes both have the ability to impress audiences with their physical prowess and perform in a way that is second to none. These similarities in physical ability and athleticism supported and promoted by dance professionals illustrate the need to recognize dancers as athletes. The attributes, career requirements, and career length of athletes and dancers also provide us with additional information about why dancers should be considered athletes. Some of the qualities needed to succeed in dance are balance, mobility, agility, endurance, coordination, flexibility, good work ethic, the ability to quickly learn and remember a routine, to just name a few. Traditionally recognized athletes, such as football or baseball players, also need similar skills such as coordination, endurance, agility, mobility, strength, as well as memorization and implementation of the game to succeed. In comparison, dancers actually need superior abilities in the areas of balance, flexibility, work ethic, attitude, ability to learn and retain quickly, and total control of the body. When considering aspects of training as an "athlete" and a dancer, the conscientious dancer typically trains from the age of 3 or 4, 5 to 6 hours a night, 6 to 7 days a day. week, until the end of his professional career, which is generally the case. peaks around age 35. Athletes and dancers have difficulty accessing professional employment and must perform at an extremely high standard to be hired. Dancers go through a rigorous audition process for each company, which are few and far between, in hopes of securing a one-year contract. For dancers, "during auditions and competitions, a dancer's technical skills may be close to perfect, but if they don't have the ability to evoke the audience and dance with the music, they won't will not necessarily meet the criteria. » (DanceConsortium.com). Meanwhile, athletes are also struggling to find jobs. A lot of athletes dream of making it to the NFL, and only about 1.6% of athletes make it a professional career, but it's not an easy task to accomplish (Sports Interactions). Athletes and dancers also have about the same amount of time to audition or try out their careers before it's too late and their bodies can no longer withstand the rigorous demands of their profession. Athletes and dancers eventually lose physical abilities as well as qualities such as balance, agility and speed as they progress., 32(2), 141-155.