Sport or Art? An athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. Dictionary.com’s definition of a sport. When people think of sports they think of football, soccer, baseball, basketball, swimming, etc. What do you think ballet is? Ballet and dance itself are considered arts. Dance is an art form. When someone dances the goal is to tell a story through movement and not words. I feel that dance is just as much of a sport as it is an art. Ballet is just one of many kinds of dance. When people think of ballet they think of flexible people in tutus. I know that’s what I think of, but there’s way more to ballet than just being flexible and wearing awkward clothing. Unlike other arts, ballet requires just as much as any other sport does. There’s more to ballet than you even know. So is it a sport or an art?
Ballet is “a classical dance form demanding grace and precision and employing formalized steps and gestures set in intricate, flowing patterns to create expression through movement,”- dictionary.com. In ballet you definitely have to be graceful but what many people don't know is that
I have a wooden stick that I put my foot in and it stretches my arch. Once I am done doing that I use a thera-band to strengthen my feet. Ballet dancers go through all this work to wear pointe shoes. Pointe shoes are shoes that enable ballet dancers to stand on their toes. If you have ever been to a ballet or seen anything that has ballet in it you will probably see them dancing on pointe shoes. Pointe shoes are made out of wood and paper mache. Comfortable is definitely no adjective for pointe shoes. Ballet dancers wear pads that go over your toes. This helps a little bit but it makes a very little difference. By the end of an hour class on pointe, dancer’s feet are bleeding, loosing toe nails, and getting blisters. Ballet dancers definitely don't have the prettiest
Classical ballet is a traditional and a formal style that required a vigorous technique such as pointe work and turnout of the legs. Ballet can be combined with other types of music and movement like hip hop, jazz, tap and more. I believe that ballet is an elegant and flowing dance that can be combined with music and body movements. One of my favorite ballet dancer is Misty Copeland. She learned ballet very quickly when she stared, one technique that takes long time to learn is pointe, which is to support all the body weight in your feet, and Copeland learned to do it in just of three months.
I studied the graceful ballerinas that danced en pointe with ease. Although, holding my entire weight onto two toes is a task that requires stamina and dedication. My feet usually get used to the pain and pressure to some degree, but it doesn’t feels completely painless. There is always one blister constantly nagging me, or one cut that just slightly stings.
What exactly determines whether or not an activity is a sport? The term sport is defined by The Free Dictionary as: A physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively, an activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively, or an active pastime; recreation.
By universal definition, "sport" is listed as "an activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively." Football, basketball, baseball, soccer and other primary activities have always been concretely defined as sports in society. However, one of the most physically demanding activities is constantly forgotten when it comes to the realm of sports- dance. Dance requires a tremendous amount of training and creates an aura of competition in which people compete to be the best, win, and take home the trophy- just like in traditionally accepted sports. These sports, however, do not possess an element of psychological health threats that some competitive dancers unfortunately must account for due to the emphasis placed on physical appearance.
“An athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature.” According to dictionary.com that would be the definition of a sport. Let’s look at the definition of a sport from Cambridge Dictionary, “a game, competition, or similar activity, done for enjoyment or as a job, that takes physical effort and skill and is played or done by following particular rules.” Marching band has been around for many years and still to this day is underappreciated and there’s been a lot of controversy whether or not it should be considered a sport. If we were to follow the guidelines of these definitions, then why would it not be. Marching band is an exhausting sport and takes an immense amount of physical power and will to be done. Not only that, but it takes an almost impossible amount of skill. Finally, marching band is a majorly competitive activity. Most high schools have a competition about once a week for a season that lasts about fourteen weeks (or about three months). So why is it not considered a sport?
While the definition of a sport may vary by the person, the dictionary definition for a sport can be best described as, “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment” (Oxford Dictionary). Cheerleading has been a topic of an ongoing controversial debate as to whether or not it should be recognized as a sport. Players that engage in sports, such as, football, basketball, and baseball all display a genuine liking for their sport, which generally emphasizes why they take part in the activity. Similarly, cheerleaders have this same mindset, but society tends to overlook their passion through the generation of the argument that cheerleading does not require
Ballet has been an art form since the late fifteenth century, but society did not truly see the impact of ballet until the nineteenth century. Modern day thinkers possess the idea that ballet began with tutus and pointe shoes, but it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that this opinion was observed. Ballet has come a long way. It has survived the turmoil of many wars and has changed itself by accepting new ideas and impressing the audience with its unique stylistic views.
What is a sport? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a sport is a "physical activity engaged in for pleasure"(www.merriam-webster.com). Does Cheerleading not fit that definition? Cheerleading is a physically demanding sport, that deserves to be recognized as such. People generally do not realize the difficulty of cheerleading, and how much effort and dedication actually goes into it. Cheerleaders practice as hard, if not harder than other sports to better themselves as athletes and a team as a whole. Not only is cheer a sport, it is a dangerous sport, just like any other athletic program. As a varsity athlete, and assistant cheer coach, I see every day the reasons why cheer should be considered
Ballet, a form of dance has been around for many years and did not start in America. Ballet has made its mark around the globe and many have and still are enjoying the art and entertainment that the ballet brings. Ballet is known as being the “core” of the other forms of dance as in modern, contemporary and even hip hop. People enjoy the form of dance on an everyday basis at family functions, parties and even just being home alone and many do not know that the dances they particularly like all originated from ballet. The history of ballet has been put into nine well defined sections the Renaissance Period, the Baroque Period, the Classical Period, the Pre-Romantic Period, Romantic Era, the Russian Classics, the Ballet Ruses, Ballet in Europe
us to one conclusion: Ballet is a sport. The fact that Ballet is also an art does not compromise this
Well then, Basketball and football aren’t sports either if cheerleading is not a sport. There is no solid definition for a sport, but cheer meets all the given criteria for a sport. Just like any other sport, cheer is a danger with stunting, flips, tumbling - all without padding or anything protective besides a blue mat. Cheer is so much more than being smiley, happy, clappy, and cheery. Cheerleading is just as much a sport as any other sport, It is the most physically challenging, and best sport out there.
Sport - an activity involving physical exertion and skill. Sideline cheerleading for many people may not be considered a sport, but there are many reasons why it should be considered one. Cheerleaders still practice just as much and just as hard as other sports do. Performing at pep rallies and games can be a difficult task to complete. Cheerleaders, like other athletes, are drug tested before starting practice. In school, cheerleaders’ grades are checked and monitored. Cheerleading also has a rulebook with standards that are to be followed. Sideline cheerleading is a sport and should be considered one by all.
Is dance a sport or not? Some people in our world today consider dance just to be all frilly and fragile. Dance takes time, effort, determination and impeccable strength. I believe that dance is a sport because it has the same components as any other sport. In any other sport you need to work hard with a lot of effort, and that is exactly what dancers do. For example, most beginning dancers practice between five to ten hours a week. Although most people in our world today look at dancing as nothing more than tutus and twirling, a good dancer must have a mind mentally engaged, a body able to endure physical challenges, and toned dedication and skill.
Many young girls grow up taking ballet class, but there is a lot more to ballet than just little girls running around in tutus. Many people think that ballet is boring or isn’t their thing but there are many roles that go into putting on a ballet. A lot of work goes into doing a ballet. There are many famous ballets that without the story, the ballet wouldn’t be as interesting. There were many influential dancers and choreographers in ballet. There are many basic steps that frame the technique of ballet. Ballet is very physically and mentally demanding. Ballet is an art that many people misunderstand, but there is so much more to ballet.
Ballet is one of the most popular types of dance. It is known for its grace and elegance. Ballet is a very disciplined style of dance and may take many years to develop the proper technique. Ballet is the foundation for many other types of dance.