The historic 2024 Summer Olympic Games took place in Paris, becoming one of the most significant events of the year worldwide. Breakdancing was the only sport to debut in the Olympics this year, shocking many fans. This decision added a new, unique component to the games by adding creative routines and complex choreographies that were both fun and athletic in a way that no traditional competitive sport could be. The purpose of adding this new category to the events was to appeal to a newer audience and embrace diverse cultures. However, the excitement was short-lived because it was quickly announced that the Los Angeles Olympic organizers chose not to include the sport in their lineup in the 2028 Summer Olympics. Each local committee determines which additional sports to add to their event, depending on their idea of the Olympics identity, and while breakdancing fit Paris’ goal of a very youth-focused event, the LA coordinators stated that it “did not fit their vision for the Games.” This news disappointed many viewers and also raised a bigger debate: should dance be recognized as a sport?
Cambridge dictionary defines dance as “a game, competition, or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules.” Dance is equally as rigorous and dangerous as other sports. It requires physical dedication and stamina and has risks of life-altering injuries. For example, ballet, which seems graceful and effortless to the observer, requires intense physical activity and a lot of core strength in order to control movements and avoid serious injuries. Ballet is a strict and disciplined style that is only mastered through intense training and years of dedication. Common ballet injuries include Spondylolysis (a stress fracture in a vertebra in the lower spine), snapping hip syndrome, fractures in lower leg bone resulting from repetitive jumps, and knee injuries resulting from performing pliés. Breakdancing, which was included in the Paris Summer Olympics is considered a challenging, athletic type of dance, since many of the moves, such as jackhammers, require significant balance and muscle strength. Both amateurs and professional breakdancers are prone to severe spine, knee, shoulder, skin, wrist and ankle injuries. While dance is mostly known for being subjective, classical styles such as ballet consist of clear, detailed steps and rules, from how to stand correctly, how to hold balances, coordination, feet positions and more, which makes dance similar to team sports that have certain game standards and rules.
Dance also fits the definition of art, which is “an activity through which people express particular ideas,” according to Cambridge dictionary. This brings to light an argument that dance isn’t a sport, but rather a form of art expressed through physical activity. While dance requires incredible endurance, athleticism and strength, it should not be compared to traditional sports because of the freedom it provides and all the different aspects involving it. Through choreographies, dancers express certain emotions conveyed through movements, and that broad way to communicate ideas sets it apart from what is traditionally known as athletics. Most styles, especially modern, are not restricted to step-by-step rules and give freedom to dancers, making it highly subjective and harder to determine a winner than sports games. In addition, dance requires costumes, makeup, facial expressions, music and many other aspects alter the audience’s opinion on the piece, while sports like basketball, tennis and swimming rely more heavily on physical activity.
Dance’s combination of rigorous technique and emotional expression places it in a third unique category, which many call ‘artistic sports’, which are “those that lie between the objective and the subjective delineation.” Considering this category as a separate branch of sports would be considered a compromise between both sides of this twenty-first century debate because it is an accurate and nuanced definition that accounts for the athletic aspects of dance as well as its artistic elements.
The Olympics has many sports that fall into the artistic category, such as figure skating, artistic gymnastics and even diving, all of which are widely popular among the audience and bring color and passion into the games. Since these categories are considered the “core” sports of the Olympics, it is only necessary to add dance as a primary category and let ambitious dancers get the opportunity to showcase their talent and efforts. Whether it is ballet or breakdancing, the Olympics lack an engaging sport that can add a different light to the event while also preserving the core Olympics spirit. By adding dance to the group of artistic sports, the Olympics would honor the hard work and discipline of many young, rising dancers and make sure this incredible form of human expression finds its place of recognition in the world of entertainment and sports.
