Is dancing a sport? Well, in order to answer this question, we must first look at the definition of the word itself. Sport /spôrt/: (noun) an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others.

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.

What many people are uninformed about is the competitive dance world. Competitions are held throughout the country, where dance studios can come and show off their talent.

Teams practice for more than twenty hours a week at times in order to perfect and synchronize their movement.

“We condition every rehearsal, which includes a six minute plank, three hundred sit ups, fifty burpees, we run laps, and a lot more. We become complete athletes. I have practice for twenty hours a week in order to prepare for the competitions,” said SRHS Senior Lauren Allaire, dancer of fourteen years (pictured above).

Another important argument to address when discussing whether dance is a sport or not is the fact that the winning team is determined by a panel of judges. Some may argue that because the teams are not facing off head to head, dance is not qualified as a sport— but let’s all take a quick look at the sport of gymnastics.

No doubt gymnastics is an extremely difficult sport, which is why it is presented along with many other sports in the Olympics. The scores of the competitors are solely