Saturday, January 19, 2008

Dance as Sport?

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, passed to prevent females from being discriminated against in sports in educational settings, has been the topic of much debate since its passage. One of the aspects of this piece of legislation that we discussed in class is whether in its intentions of bringing women up to the same level as men in athletics, in terms of involvement and perception in the world of sport, it has also limited the opportunities for men in sports in order to maintain equality. Compliance with Title IX requires that in schools that receive financial aid, the ratio of male to female athletes at a school must mirror the ratio of males to females in the student body at that school. In order to meet these requirements, schools incorporate gender quotas into their sports department. In class we discussed several articles on whether dance and cheerleading should be considered a sport. I was very interested in this discussion because I have danced my entire life, and I never felt that it was taken seriously when compared to other sports. (I believe that cheerleading should also be considered a sport, but since I never was a cheerleader, I can’t speak firsthand about it, so this paper will be mostly about dance.)
The first step in determining whether an activity may be considered a sport is to examine the definition of sport. While some authorities maintain that sport is indefinable, Edwards formally defined sport as:
Activities having formally recorded histories and traditions, stressing physical exertion through competition within limits set in explicit and formal rules governing role and position relationships, carried out by actors who represent or are part of formally organized associations having the goal of achieving valued tangibles or intangibles through defeating opposing groups (Leonard 1998).
Attempts have been made to separate sport from play, and some distinguishing features of sport, according to Luschen, are that the activity is physical and excludes sedentary activities like chess or cards, and the emphasis is on the competition aspect is central (Leonard 1998). A co-worker considers any activity aired on ESPN a sport. Using any of these definitions, one could make a strong argument labeling dance (all types) as a sport.
There is no doubt that dance involves rigorous training schedules and high levels of physical exertion. Dancers need tremendous amounts of endurance, strength, and flexibility to perform their routines. Dancers on the Lady Blasters (the dance team for the Baltimore Blast), like many other dance teams, were required to spend at least 3 days per week in the gym doing strength training as part of their contract. When competition time nears, practice sessions become longer and more frequent. Some dancers spend hours in the studio practicing with others, then go home and practice even more. Unlike other sports, every minute detail of a dancer’s body is under scrutiny during a competition, from her smile to the position of her finger tips. Her timing must be accurate and her movements must be coordinated and match those of the other members of her team. It sounds to me like dance competition is more critical than basketball, or many of the other more traditional sports. The goals of dance teams, during performances or competitions, include performing the routine(s) in perfect synchronization, without any mistakes, at the highest level of skill they are capable of. As the team progresses, more difficult choreography is incorporated into the routine.
Although I never competed in ballroom dance, as a ballroom dance instructor, I saw how years and years of training go into preparing for one competition. The competitions are fierce and again, every last detail is scrutinized in competitions so the slightest error could result in a poor rating. My own dance instructor was partnered with his wife, and they were both at the studio 12 hours per day or more teaching for 8 and rehearsing in between and after appointments. I trained with them for 2 years and worked with them for 1 and by the time I left, they still felt they were not ready to compete.
I didn’t spend much time competing in traditional dance. I participated more for the enjoyment, training at a private studio. I started when I was three, and continued through high school. Unfortunately, dance was not offered at any of my schools, either in the form of a class or a team. When asked if I participated in any sports, I would always answer that I took dance. The usual reaction to that was something to the effect of “but no real sports?” In high school I joined the volleyball and cross country teams not only because I enjoyed them, but because the importance of involvement in sports when applying to colleges was stressed, and I was given the impression that dance would not cut it. I never understood why. I would be willing to bet that I spent more time in the average week going over routines and working on my form and flexibility than any football player in my school. I had to buy gear (shoes, leotards, etc.), sell tickets to performances, and stick to a strict practice schedule. I had to get along with the other dancers in my class and cooperate with them to coordinate moves. I needed a certain level of physical strength and endurance to perform my best. The only difference is that my school didn’t support it.


Reference:
Leonard, W. A Sociological Perspective of Sport. 5th ed. Macmillan, 1998. pp. 12-14

No comments: