Simple solution-- the man assumes the country of origin in mixed couples .
The representation , for non residents, in their own country, could be by selection from the parent country of the couples in Q .

team matches and formations would not be a problem .
The bigger Q-- would it be all Amat ?-- basketball has virtually all prof,s , as well as show jumping .

Terence2. The same rules must apply right across the board whether it be Dancing, Tennis, Soccer or whatever. A very highly ranked ladies tennis doubles pair are one from the USA and the other from Australia. They would have to split if they were to take part in an Olympic event. Do you think that for one moment that the best dancing pair in any country are going to pair up with another and put their real partnership on hold for a few months if they are selected

Case in point-- J. Wilkins ( UK ) with Katusha- representing the USA.. Jon, could-- if he so chose-- represent u.k.

The determining factor should be the citizenry , of the Male in the partnership, irrespective of habitat .

Terence2. Don't you think that the same rule must apply to all Olympic Sports. Could I be part of a relay team running for Jamaca in one Olympics and running for the USA in the other four years later. If it were allowed we would have the poaching of athletes on a large scale to bolster up an Olyimpic team.. Unless you believe that special dispensation should be given to Ballroom dancers. The names you used are one is from the UK and the partner is from Russia. Both are dancing out of the USA. To make it more difficult both are Professional. And the WDC is not a part of the IOC. The IDSF which is, is Amateur. It is an impossible situation.

Speaking of which...rumors are flying. Could get very interesting (Jonathon/Katusha no more...new partnerships?)

The quick and simple is that it is both. Ballroom has all of the physical advantages of a sport, but it allows for artisitic expression.

I think in the UK where the people who do the monthly letter service call the social side of things the Hobby Class which is seperated from the Medal and Competition Dancing. They often say this group is suitable for the high grade medal or competition class. I think Hobby Class just about explains itself and doesn't fit into the term sport.In my oppinion we have two seperate entities here if that is the corect word to use.

Hi Je Yeon,
You have raised a fantastic, straight to the point, question but unfortuantely I believe the answer is very ambiguous.
In my opinion I believe that dancing can't be classified as either a sport or an art but is rather defined by each person that experiences it. Basically what I am saying is dancing is neither sport nor art but is rather whatever the dancer or spectator defines it as.

In my opinion dancing is an art and not a sport. I can't argue against the fact that it is not a sport, but I can say that the reasons why one would classify dancing as a sport can also be the criteria that classify dance as an art.

Firstly dance is an expression. It is physical movement that conveys emotions, story's and character. There is a point to each movement (we don't just do something for no reason, it has meening) and there are special techniques that are used to be able to convey and communicate our story to those that watch us. This is similar to visual arts where artists use special techniques (ie brush technique, texture, etc) to help create a story that people can interpret. Art is a form of creation, artists create meening and definition by touching peoples emotions. Dancing involves physical movement to create story's which is a characteristic of art.

People tend to argue the fact that when one performs dancing in competition it immediately turns in to sport. I will not criticise this opinion and nor shall I try to disprove it but I will provide with my reasoning as to why competition dancing for me is still defined as art. Consider an art exhibition in an art gallery. Judges have certain criteria that they use to choose a winner. In almost all cases the winner is the artwork that has the greatest impact on the judges (touches their emotions, greatest depth, etc). Each artwork is judged on its own merrits. Rather than competing against eachother, each artwork presents what it has to offer- the story hidden in it, the emotions conveyed the technical expertise. Same in dancing. I do not believe that dancers compete against one another. I do not view it as competition but I do believe that it is an exhibition with each couple having their individual strong points. These strong points are the different characteristics of their art. The winner will be the one who has the greatest impact on the spectators and judges. It is not saying that they are better than the others, but is rather saying that what that artwork has to offer has the greatest impact on people.

Finally someone argued that dancers are athletes because they have to keep their body in tip top shape. I argue that dancers are not required to keep their body in great shape, they choose to. One can still create if they are out of shape but will that have such a strong impact on people? If one finds your artwork offensive then they will not try to interpret it nor find the many meanings that are hidden in it.

Dr Elle. Its impossible to answer question. Take Figure Skating, its a sport and yet Ballet isn't. They both move to music. They both interpret the music and also they both act. With the Skating I have in mind the Pair Skaters featured in, " Andre Rieu in Vienna ", skating and acting to the theme from the Titanic My Heart will go On. In some countries because dancing is classed as a sport they have access to their various Institutes of Sport and have done for years. Then there is local funding for Ballroom Dancing on an equall to Soccer or Baseball or Athletics and so on.

Not that I can add much to a posting that has more than 30 entries, but I was a sportswriter by trade for many years, and still freelance sports stories for a daily newspaper for side income to this day. For whatever it is worth, the editors at the paper also assign me any dancing or ballroom dancing type features or events stories. Partly because they know I am interested in it and dance in local shows and such, but also because I think they view it as an athletic endeavor as well as an art form.
One of my favorite sports to watch is boxing, one of my favorite activities is ballroom dancing. The two are similar in the training, footwork, strength, balance and practice they take. One is violent, the other elegant. I learned both at a young age, and they are both dear to my heart to this day, some 50 years later. Both are sports -- athletic and artistic.