The Strength of Grace : Is a Dancer an Athlete?

There are many different necessary qualities to fulfill to role of an athlete. All sports require at least one type of strength; whether it’s natural talent or the result of years of hard work and determination, you usually won’t get too far as an athlete without it. So what do you think of when somebody asks you to name an athlete? Is it a famous football star or a college basketball player? Maybe a baseball pitcher or a tennis player you watched in the US Open. Whichever of those it might be, I would like to bet that a professional dancer or principle ballerina didn’t come to your mind. The thought of a girls in leotards and tutus on a stage doesn’t really sound like a sport, and it isn’t; but, that doesn’t mean those girls aren’t athletic. Unless somebody has actually been in a real ballet class, they aren’t going to give the dancers the credit they deserve. I have been dancing every day of the week for the past 10 years and I personally know how much strength, endurance, and determination it takes to dance in a ballet. It doesn’t come easy and just like an Olympic athlete, ballerinas train hours on end and are often told to be on certain diet to remain a particular weight and size. Still, people still say “It’s just dance” or “Anyone can do that”. From someone who has been through torn muscles, day-long rehearsals, and physical and mentally tiring dance classes, take it from me that dancers are, and should be considered, very athletic. Though tutus and stage makeup usually hide the pain, the strength that a dancer has pulls through for her entire performance, leaving the audience unaware of the pain and strength it takes to last throughout a show. Football players might have long practices, special diets, and weight requirements and runners may need to run miles on end to lengthen their cardiac ability, but dancers have requirements too and all of that grace doesn’t come easy. It just takes a different type of athlete to be both graceful, and full of strength, and more people should recognize and respect the art and ability within a dancer.