Even top athletes can’t compete with the best dancers

When a professor asks whether dancing is a sport or an art, the correct response is to ask, why can’t it be both?

Sports and art aren’t mutually exclusive things. They are alike in that they’re both beautiful when done correctly.

Many professional athletes take dance and ballet in order to better their sporting abilities. They dance to improve balance, footwork and coordination, but even the top athletes in other sports can’t compete with the best dancers.

If you’ve ever seen Dancing with the Stars or a similar show, then it’s pretty obvious even the most graceful non-dancers aren’t nearly as impressive as those who do it professionally.

Professional dancers create an artful performance of a sport. Even the best athletes in professional sports are often described in artistic terms.

Commentators will say someone made a “gorgeous catch” or a “breathtaking pass.”

Watching someone play a sport better than anyone else, or a team execute to perfection, is art. It is untrue that sports and art cannot coexist.

Trying to separate the two is impossible. They will forever be linked to those who love sports and see the beauty they provide.