There are kids and students, even from a young age, who are told by their parents that they have to play a sport. These parents find it important that their kids be involved in some type of physical activity, and it is. So a little girl thinks taking a dance class would be interesting and that she would be able to please her parents by this choice of sport. But when she comes to tell them what sport she would like to take up, they tell her dance is not a sport. Even after explaining to them that if someone is good enough they can compete, which is just like any other sport, this little girl’s dream of being a competitive dancer is crushed by her parents jaded view of what is considered a sport. The word “sport” is defined in the dictionary …show more content…
Yes, there are many other sports where there are solo competitions like boxing and golf but there is always a support systems for the competitors in these sports. There are also ways for dancers to compete alone by performing a solo at a competition. And there is always a team to back up these solo dancers. It was estimated that there was over five million competitive dance teams in the United States in 2002 and that number has only grown since then (Brady, 1). Being part of a team is an important aspect of a sport, especially for competitive dancers. Many feel like their dance studio is a second home and that their team is like a second family. “The studio was your home. Your team was your family,” said Alexa Palermo from the Odyssey, who was also a former dancer (Palermo, 1). Being part of a team means a lot to a competitive dancer and it is what helps them through the hard times of their dance careers. Many dancers feel like it is their passion in life, but say that competitive dance would not have been the same without their team (Palmero, 4). Many sports teams across the country feel this same way and are a better team because of it. Being part of a team is what makes competitive dance a sport just like any other sport in the United …show more content…
The words “competitive dance” alone say it all. The whole purpose of dancing at competitions is to compete against other dance teams in order to try and win an award. Without the competition aspect, dance should not be considered a sport. Yes, it is a physical activity that involves a lot of strength and time that needs to be dedicated to it. But without the competitive aspect, it would not be a sport. To be a sport, a team has to compete against another team for the enjoyment and entertainment of others (Sport, 1). This is the goal of any competitive dancer or dance team. For something to be a sport, it specifically needs to be in a competition setting as well as have the purpose behind it of entertaining. People do not go to a football or basketball game to sit there and watch two teams just play an equal and fair game with no activity and no winner. If all games and performances in the sports realm were like this there would be no one there to watch them because they would not be entertaining. With competitive dance, there is always two or more teams or dancers going up against each other to get the win. And a major reason why dancers compete is to entertain, because they love the satisfaction of the crowd being pleased by their performance. “I dance because it feels good. Also, applause,” said Helen Phelan, a freelance dancer
When it comes to the topic of whether cheerleading is a sport, some of us will readily agree that it is. Where the agreement usually ends, however, is on the question whether cheerleading is a sport or not. Whereas many are convinced that it isn’t a sport, other maintains that it is a sport because cheerleaders are athletes, they need to train and be in shape in order to be able to do all the complex maneuvers safely. I agree that cheerleading is a sport because cheerleaders compete against other teams and competition is part of every 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
As sport acts as a microcosm of society, many issues found in sport such as gender stereotyping, female discrimination, sexploitation and racism, can also be found outside of sport. The cultural level holds immense power in influencing all levels of the framework, with socialisation of factors regarding race, culture, femininity and masculinity filtering through each level and either directly or indirectly impacting the individual level. Both male and female participation in dance is influenced by gender stereotypes with hegemonic beliefs about masculinity and femininity limiting or enhancing both genders equity and access into dance. Within our media saturated society, females dancers are urged to sexualise themselves in order to serve the
“Cheerleading involves skills which require the strength of football, the grace of dance, and the agility of gymnastics” (“Sport”). Many categorize competitive cheerleading as just an activity without any skill needed: there is nothing further from the truth! Competitive cheerleading is a sport that is dedicated to competition, fits the definition of a sport, and possesses a goal.
The typical idea of a dancer is that they are tall, slender, full of energy, and lucky because they dance with all of the “stars”. Much of this is true, however, what many people do not think of are the many hardships that a dancer goes through in order to achieve their high status in the dance world. It takes much hard work and determination along with good direction to become a dancer. However, nothing good comes without a price. Dancers often times have many pressures put on them which can lead to physical and emotional damages. These damages occur through the pressures from the media, parents, teammates, and the stereotype that society has placed on dancers.
Albert Einstein once said “Dancers are the athletes of God.” Dancers deserve to have the title of athlete, to start, take a look at the definition of an athlete “a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength.” While dancing requires great artistry, artistry is just one aspect of dance, because it clearly has an athletic side as well. Dancer’s athletic side is not seen by many because of the reality of what people see on stage, but is what is seen on stage all of it? The amount of passion and dedication dancers have leads to countless hours at the studio every week. With the many genres of dance to choose from, each involves athleticism one way or another. The many different options make it easier for a dancer to branch out and explore new ways of fulfilling their dreams. Dancers need to stop being underestimated by everyone, they need everyone to see them as athletes and artists.
“There are raw statistics that cheerleading accounts for two-thirds of all catastrophic injuries among female high school athletes. Honestly, cheerleading isn’t as safe as you might think, which was one of the reasons New York State - following 34 other states and Washington D.C. - reclassified it as an official school sport last month.”(Hickey, Walt) Competitive cheerleading is a sport. Many people were upset about this accusation because in their minds, cheerleading isn’t a sport. These people believe it’s a club or activity there to bring a spirit or entertain the men. Others say that cheerleading takes hard work, determination, and effort. To add to that, there isn’t a solid definition of an “official” sport, but there are some points
Outsiders say cheerleading must not take up time or you do not have to dedicate to cheer and say cheer is not a sport. However, cheer does take up time and athletes must be dedicated to the sport, cheerleaders mean it when they say “I can’t I have cheer”. Some people who have cheered have been dedicated since they were young and have cheered for many years. The higher the level the cheerleader is the more time and dedication is put into cheer(Chasse Cheer). These teams will practice and some have classes almost every day of the week. The lower level teams have fewer practices a week, but these can still take up a big chunk of time(Chasse Cheer). From summer practice to mandatory ones during the year, and then competitions being dedicated is part of this
when questioning whether or not ballet is a sport. Competiveness is one more characteristic of
Although, dance requires some natural skill it also requires dedication. Natural ability and talent will only get dancers so far. Dancers must work hard and persevere. Dancers give years of their lives plus their sweat, tears and sometimes blood to have the honor and pleasure of performing on stage. Dance takes dedication, commitment and passion from the dancer. The only one who can stop you from reaching your dance goals is you! Practice, persistence and determination pay off. Dancers that dedicate themselves countless hours every day, week, and month to become more confident and have more toned dedication and skill. So clearly, there is a question in people's minds about whether dance is a sport or an art. The dance community consists of many different factions and styles. You can dance at a club for fun, as a hobby, as a serious passion, or you can dance as a career. To be able to dance well, one needs to have flexibility, strength, stamina, endurance, and a love for what they do. I can see why people think that dance is not a sport. I know we make it look easy, but as many people don’t know, it’s really quite difficult. When you really take a look and see how many things football and dance have in common, you will see that dance truly is a sport. Dancers work just as hard as any football player in the United States. To conclude my thoughts my favorite quote in the world, “If dance were any
There is something beautiful about dance, but there is something more beautiful about dancing with others. When a group of 13 girls and 1 boy can come together from 14 different ways of life and move together as one, then a dance team become more than just a dance team. This was not something that happened over night, it took time, effort and about 7 conversations with our coaches about our values. Without all of those components this team would have never became the successful, fighting, dream team that we became.
Cheerleading Most people say that cheerleading is not a sport, but I disagree. Cheerleading is most certainly a sport and I think everyone should agree. I think that it should be a sport because of all the tricks they do they have to practice and they have to work out to get stronger to be able to hold a person.
Antonio Ordaz Mrs. Karen Suarez English 4 21 July 2016 Video Games Should Be a Sport Video games have impacted our society in various ways. In the 21st century, people have started to make this a sport. However, other people don’t see it because it has no physical activity. This can be proven wrong because other countries have taken it seriously, video games make them fit and faster, and people already treat it seriously. League of Legends is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) that has attracted many people to eSports, which is a tournament organization that focuses on multiplayer competitive games.
Preparing for competition is easier said than done, you need a passion to complete the task. Competition is extremely stressful, but amazing at the same time. It?s a process of mixed emotions, not knowing if it?s importance will have a meaning in the end. Having practice six times a week allows us to work on our jumps, cheers, dances, tumbling, and the most difficult, stunting. Just the counts and lifting people in the air is traumatic enough, but repeating it over and over again it gets strenuous. Dancing is relaxing when you have counts to them, but when you have to learn the dance to the music people get confused and don?t know when to leave to the next formation. Team members start getting fed up with each other at the closing stages of practice, it?s just a natural human reaction after practicing with the same fifteen to twenty girls for three hours.
To many, dance is only an art. In reality, dance is much more. It 's an art, a sport, a way to express one’s self, a way to exercise, a way to get feelings out. Since the beginning of time, humans have used different types of dance to express themselves. There are many advantages to dancing, however there are also some disadvantages. Dance is one of the most physically and cognitively demanding sports.