Going Battle Of Art Vs. Sport : The Ballet World

The applauding audience, the lights, sequins and feathers, the colorful, elaborate tutus, and satin pointe shoes capture the hearts of young girls. Where else can a young girl dream of becoming a princess, a swan, a dancing snowflake or flower, or a sugarplum fairy? Where else can she be a fairy tale character like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty? Where else can she be rescued by her handsome prince and collapse into his arms? Ballet is the magical world where these dreams can come true. Young girls and women can be all of these things, symbolizing femininity in a culture that teaches young girls to be and want everything pink and pretty.

The first experience of watching a ballet, for me or any little girl, can be fascinating and exhilarating. Wondering how a dancer can be so steady on her toes as she spins in circles and leaps through the air. Watching a ballet, there is a feeling of wanting to be graceful, as well as the warm sensation felt by a little girl as she slips into dream land. My mom had taken me to my first ballet when I was 11 years old. When we returned home home, she signed me up for classes at the local dance center. The expectations to become a prima ballerina would involve much hard work and concentration. I knew when I started it would take years of steady practice and commitment. Learning the history of ballet and the famous

Dance is found in all cultures. It is considered a way to communicate without talking. During the Renaissance period, ballet was considered a Russian specialty. The highly qualified and sought after dance companies would tour the world performing in front of those who had never experienced ballet before. By exposing ballet to the United States of America, the Russians inspired and sparked a demand for legitimate ballet in America. It took place throughout the 20th century, currently known as the Russo-American Era.

“ And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” said by Friedrich Nietzsche. Although many will argue that competitive dancing should be considered an art over a sport, I have a different opinion. Though I do believe that dancing has many qualities that would consider it an art, I still believe that there are even more qualities that should make it considered a sport. Keep in mind that i'm talking about competitive dance, not just a couple classes throughout the week. Competitive dancers go to competitions with a judging system that ensures objectivity, fairness, and transparency. Dancers also require good stamina, speed, flexibility, and muscle. Dance also requires a very strong level of discipline and strength.

This sport is one very similar to many, but also very different. It holds true similarity through its athleticism, but it differentiates itself with many other sports through its artistic form. A dance can tell a story, give emotion, and hold a power all at once. There are many athletic qualities that make dance a sport. Two qualities regarding this are that they undergo many hours of strength training and conditioning, and the athletes show prominent and positive sportsmanship.

Dance is a unique sport because it combines the grit and sweat of sporting events, such as track and field, with the style and extravagance of a fashion show (D.Fowler, 2000).

Ballet is one of the most beautiful, graceful dances known to the dancing world. From the tutu to the pointe shoes the need to see the expression of the steps given. Being able to see how the illusion of a flying princess is one of the most mysteries that come with a ballet show. The history of Ballet has evolved into one of the most well-known type of dances in the world this is from only the men having roles in the ballet to women being able to express emotion.

“Dancer’s are the athletes of God,” Albert Einstein said. Dance has many structures to it; there is modern, ballet, contemporary, and tap just to name a few. Dancing should be recognized as a sport. Dancing has the same components as a sport does; dance improves memory, balance and coordination, and it provides a mental escape.

When using this definition of what a sport is, there is no doubt that dance fills these requirements. The first requirement is that it uses physical exertion and dance is extremely physically demanding. The amount of athleticism required to perform many of the dance moves is astounding. According to an article on aarp.com “a workout that involves jumping and turning repeatedly for over ten minutes creates a workout similar to running a mile” (qtd in Rice 1). Most dancers don’t just dance for ten minutes: Paige Abrams states, “Teams practice for more than twenty hours a week” (2) and Aubree James says, “Many competitive dancers practice for five hours a day to perfect their technique, while some rep hockey teams [only] practice five hours a week” (2). In addition to the actual dancing at practices, dance requires a lot of additional conditioning. Lauren Allaire said, “We condition every rehearsal, which includes a six minute plank, three hundred sit ups, fifty burpees, we run laps, and a lot more” (qtd in Abrams 2) In my own experience, just conditioning in class still isn’t enough to keep a dancers body as strong or as flexible as it needs to be. Staying in shape requires stretching and working out every night.

Ballet is an interesting thing, but have you ever thought about how it started or why. Did you know at first that women were not a big part of ballet. Ballet was a big thing for men not women. Learn more about this exciting journey through time

Classical Ballet is the epitome of class and sophistication, it is known for its meticulous techniques

According to many people's definition of a sport in that it must be in the Olympics, they are then saying baseball and football aren’t a sport either. Dance requires a lot more strength than any other sport. It requires a lot of muscle and energy, but most importantly, facial expression, love, and much more. Performing a dance is such a hard sport to compete with because you have to do many things to impress everyone and you must have to be very exact. These hard working dancers have to try to impress every judge they're showing their dance to and all judges have their own opinions.

Today’s ballets are nothing like what they were at first. Ballet has changed over time. A great deal of Ballet dances, at Ballet’s beginning were based off of court dances. Court dances were social dances performed in court, usually between a man and woman. They are also known as ballroom dances. Ballet has grown from being a court dance for the nobles to a sophisticated complex art many can enjoy watching or dancing it.

Number two, dancers must be simultaneously flexible and motivated to work with drive. Dancers are required to practice as much as possible just like other people who play sports, in addition to memorizing routines that take a great effort of skill. Dancers must also have a good mental attitude and stay upright even if they mess up or feel like they aren’t performing well This stamina is also shown in any other athletic

Keeping with its hightented popularity, ballet was the main style until the late 19th century (Origin and History of Ballet). Still, it is a very common branch of dance that is one of the most popular in the world. Technique shapes a dancer. Grace, poise, and flexibility plays the biggest roles in a ballerina’s life. Parents can start their children in ballet classes as early as they can walk, but once children get to kindergarten, the choose to continue.