An age-old and controversial argument in the dance world has long been whether dancers can be considered athletes. Through the definition of athletes and dancers, the professional viewpoints and qualities of both dancers and athletes, dancers can be found to be equal to or even slightly superior to the “standard” athlete. This topic has been debated for more than ten years and much evidence has been found to support both views, although the conclusion that dancers are indeed athletes is much stronger, with better reasoning and superior evidence. Dancers are actually the epitome of an artistic athlete as they encompass numerous traits of both an artist and an athlete. It is disgraceful not to classify them as sportsmen, or to consider them inferior to the “athlete” recognized as a footballer, as they share numerous distinctive characteristics in common. Although many people think that professional “athletes” like Rob Gronkowski or LeBron James are worth more than dancers like Sonya Tayeh, Travis Wall or Mikhail Baryshnikov, there are countless experts who believe that these two have more similarities that unite them instead of segregating them. All the qualities, skills and requirements that you can unequivocally recognize in a "typical" athlete can be found by observing the performance and training of a dancer. Dancers should therefore undoubtedly be included in the category of “athletes” as they share a similar definition, professional support and multiple identical defining attributes and requirements. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Dancers and the “typical” athlete are quite similar once you look at the definition of their craft. A dancer is described as "a person who dances or whose profession is dancing" (Google), and dance is expressed as "the movement of the body in a rhythmic manner, usually to music and within a given space, at the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy or simply enjoying the movement itself” (Britannica), meanwhile, an athlete is described as “a person skilled in sports and other forms of physical exercise” (Google). and sports are expressed as “physical competitions pursued for the objectives and challenges they entail. Sport is part of the past and present of every culture, but every culture has its own definition of sport. The most useful definitions are those that clarify the relationship between sport and play, games and competitions” (Britannica). As you can see the definition of athlete, is simply described as skilled in sports and physical exercise is very similar to the definitions of dance and dancers the popular definition therefore, dance should be considered a sport as it is, without any doubt or reasonable argument, a physical action or movement that encourages the pursuit of goals and challenges, as well as the release of energy. Athletes, however, such as football or basketball players, usually begin their sport with simple play, at school as a physical education requirement or as a light hobby or street game, when they are children for 1 or 2 days a week, 1-2 hours each. day until age 35 (Chrome (end-of-career average for athletes)). Once pre-professional, the dancers are of a similar level and both extremely demanding. One of the differences is that dancers start out younger than the typical athlete. Athletes and dancers are both incredible, as is evident from their definition, so dancers should be positively viewed as an athlete. Numerous dance professionals and critics have agreed what a dancer should beconsidered an athlete as well as an artist and have provided significant evidence in defense of this. complaint. Dance critics such as New York Times critic Alastair Macaulay and New Yorker critic Joan Acocella have described the world of dance as "elegant and athletic" (DanceConsortium) and these dancers from successful dance companies such as NYC Ballet of Joffrey praised their "athletic beauty" and "athletic prowess" (DanceConsortium). Dance professionals, such as Travis Wall and Many Moore, recognized the dancers for both their classical and technical skill. athletic ability. Dancers and athletes both have the ability to wow audiences with their physical prowess and perform in an unmatched manner. These similarities in physical ability and athleticism, championed and promoted by dance professionals, exemplify the need to recognize and recognize dancers as athletes. The characteristics, career requirements, and career lengths of both athletes and dancers also give us further insight into why dancers should be considered athletes. Some of the qualities needed to be a successful dancer are balance, mobility, agility, stamina, coordination, flexibility, a good work ethic, the ability to learn and maintain a routine quickly, to name a few. Even traditionally recognized athletes, such as football or baseball players, require similar skills such as coordination, endurance, agility, mobility, strength, and game memory and implementation to be a successful player. When compared, dancers actually require superior skills in the areas of balance, flexibility, work ethic, attitude, ability to learn and retain quickly, and complete body control. When considering the educational aspects of both an “athlete” and a dancer, the conscientious dancer usually trains from the age of 3 or 4 for 5-6 hours a night 6-7 days a week until the end of his professional career, which usually culminates around age 35. Both athletes and dancers have difficulty obtaining professional work and must reach an extremely high standard to be hired. Dancers go through a rigorous audition process for each company, which are few and far between, in hopes of landing a one-year contract. For dancers, “In auditions and competitions a dancer's technical ability may be near perfect, but if he or she does not have the ability to evoke spectators and dance to the music, he or she will not necessarily meet the criteria.” (DanceConsortium.com). Meanwhile, athletes have just as much difficulty finding work. A large number of athletes dream of joining the NFL and only about 1.6% of athletes succeed in pursuing a professional career, however this is not an easy task to accomplish (Sports Interactions). Both athletes and dancers have about the same amount of time to audition or prove their career before it's too late and their bodies can no longer handle the rigorous demands of their profession. Athletes and dancers eventually lose physical abilities and qualities such as balance, agility and speed as they age. Most dancers have a specific time to audition for a company, otherwise directors feel they are unable to mold them adequately enough to fit their company's vision. A dancer's age therefore makes him or her less attractive, adding more pressure for a dancer to receive a good contract early. Similar pressures are found among “athletes” recognized by professional leagues and teams. As an athlete's body ages, capabilities begin?, 32(2), 141-155.