Dance: Sport or Art?

Is the activity that drives community really a sport?

It would take an extraordinary amount of confidence (or stupidity) to tell a ballerina that she isn’t an athlete, to shout over the tapping of a tap dancer that his performance is not entertaining, or to step onto a ballroom floor and inform the athletes, numbers still taped to their backs, that they are not participating in a competition.

Physically demanding. Entertaining. Competitive. These are the three defining qualities of a sport, and yet dance’s place within this category always seems to be up for debate. This uncertainty, however, is worth exploring further, since dance itself encompasses such a broad range of styles. 

Take street dance, for instance: an umbrella term for a collection of styles such as locking, hip-hop, popping, and breaking (as featured in the 2024 Paris Olympics). Each style has its own history and culture, yet they are united by their origins in urban communities. In this sense, calling street dance a sport feels restrictive. 

Street dance demands athleticism and musicality, but it’s also a celebration of community and a demonstration of unity — many of its moves were even used to show solidarity with activists during the civil rights movement. While street dance can certainly be competitive with crews battling one another, freestyle sessions and parties play an equally important role, creating community and sharing moves and influences.

On a global scale, Red Bull Dance Your Style, a mixed-style competition, demonstrates the importance of community in the creation and development of street dance, since winners are decided by an audience vote. By contrast, the Red Bull BC One competition, which is focused solely on breaking, highlights the technical and competitive side of the culture, with judging handled by five experienced breakers from around the world. 

In St Andrews, there are opportunities to experience a range of dance styles through various societies. Mariya Jones, a newcomer to the world of dancing, offers an important perspective; because she hasn’t been part of the scene for long, she notices fundamental aspects which more experienced dancers might overlook or take for granted.

“I think I’d class dance as an art and a sport,” Jones explained. “It can be physically demanding and technical, but also really expressive and visually stunning.” Jones took up salsa and bachata after joining the university: “Even though they can be very social and relaxed rather than rehearsed forms, I’d say the same applies — especially when you see the more advanced members of the society dancing at socials.”

Still, the issue of judging dance is a constant. Unlike in football, where, despite our hopes and prayers, when the ball goes into the back of the net, it simply means a goal and the team with the most goals wins, dance is far more subjective. 

Some moves are more difficult than others: a fouetté is harder than a pirouette; a 1990 is more complex than a cross step. But can you truly mark musicality? Or the emotion a dancer gives to a performance? 

Sports such as gymnastics or diving also rely on judging, but none equal dance in its intention to move an audience emotionally. To label dance a sport is to consider its sole aim to defeat an opponent, and though there may be competitors, this definition is limiting. 

Dance is rather about exploring your own abilities and feelings and evoking emotion in spectators, whether they are friends, rivals, or admirers. Dance is technically difficult and emotionally demanding, but also very simple: move and express, move and express.With this mantra in mind, you might find that others stop merely watching and start dancing too. 

Image from Wikimedia Commons