I'm a competitive Latin dancer, and I have mixed feelings about dance being termed a "sport." Certainly, there is no denying that dance at a competitive level is very physically demanding! In fact, even as an avid exerciser in very good shape, I've found few activities that test my stamina as much as practice "rounds" (all five Latin dances at tempo, two minutes per dance, with 10-15 seconds of transition between dances) of my open choreography do. After pumping out three of those "rounds" in an hour, I dare anyone to say that athleticism is not required of competitive dancers!
Even with that, I don't like the notion of dance being classified as a sport. The athleticism involved is only a *part* of what makes dance so fascinating and challenging. There is so much artistry involved, and a connection between partners that is emotional as well as physical...to call it sport seems to ignore the complexity that keeps me so passionately involved with dance.
So, what's my hope? I would like to see the physical demands of "dancesport" recognized, that's for sure! However, I don't want the current push for "dance as sport" to take precedence over the beauty and elegance of dance.
