Do You Consider Ballet a Sport?

[Niamh.]

Never heard anyone refer to ballet as a sport before but there's a big debate on another forum about whether it is or isn't ? Thoughts? I know it's athletic and you have to be really fit and you can enter competition but it's still a dance I would have thought? hhmmmm :think:

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[Crimson Dynamo]

No

Its just awful theatre

[Livia]

No. I consider it an art. Having said that, ballet dancers are as fit as any athlete. Their bodies are like works of art themselves. Their whole life is dedicated to their art like top athletes.

[Nicky91]

yes and no

the ''yes'' because it takes quite some physical strength of you, some of the moves, extensions of your frame

the ''no'' because it is more a type of art

[Crimson Dynamo]

darts, now that is a proper sport

[thesheriff443]

No. I consider it an art. Having said that, ballet dancers are as fit as any athlete. Their bodies are like works of art themselves. Their whole life is dedicated to their art like top athletes.

Agree with this.

[Mystic Mock]

Personally if there's a competition element involved (especially athletic) then I like to count said game as a Sport.

However I don't know if Ballet officially is counted as a Sport.

[thesheriff443]

darts, now that is a proper sport

Since they stopped drinking and smoking on stage it’s amateur stuff.

[Niamh.]

Personally if there's a competition element involved (especially athletic) then I like to count said game as a Sport.

However I don't know if Ballet officially is counted as a Sport.

There's competition involved in most dances though, Irish Dancing over here for example is highly competitive and the fitness levels are very high also. Ballroom dancing of course there are always competitions in

[Shaun]

I don't see how you could compete in it, so no.

I know dancing has competitions and everything but I'm relatively sure ballet does not and is instead performed in theatre as an art, rather than a sport. I'm not sure I'd call ballroom/street dance 'sport' either, just... exercise? The scoring system in competitions is mostly based on artistic expression than physical athleticism.

[Niamh.]

I don't see how you could compete in it, so no.

I know dancing has competitions and everything but I'm relatively sure ballet does not and is instead performed in theatre as an art, rather than a sport. I'm not sure I'd call ballroom/street dance 'sport' either, just... exercise? The scoring system in competitions is mostly based on artistic expression than physical athleticism.

Apparently there is fiercely competitive competitions in ballet. Don't know a lot about Ballet but my niece competes in competitive Irish dancing and it's a serious business

[Crimson Dynamo]

I recall once my local football team organised a competitive match against the Glasgow School of Ballet - a good game and it ended up...


2-2

[Shaun]

It's the sort of thing I wouldn't mind being incorporated into the Olympic Games (especially if we're going down weirder territories like rock-climbing and skateboarding).

[Niamh.]

It's the sort of thing I wouldn't mind being incorporated into the Olympic Games (especially if we're going down weirder territories like rock-climbing and skateboarding).

Yeah, I suppose I wouldn't really consider those Sports either, more like hobbies :laugh:

[Livia]

I'm a massive ballet fan. Wanted to post something wonderful... Kenneth MacMillan's Elite Syncopations with the Goddess that is Darcy Bussell.
Starts around 1.45

oSGCoVXYtJs

[MTVN]

Would ballet dancers really want it to be considered a sport? I feel like they'd almost think that denigrates what they consider to be an art

[Niamh.]

Would ballet dancers really want it to be considered a sport? I feel like they'd almost think that denigrates what they consider to be an art

Well most of the people arguing that it is are dance teachers/people who have their kids in ballet.

[Liam-]

No, it’s an art

[Cal.]

Of course it looks pissing hard

[Cherie]

No, it’s an art

'

[Kizzy]

I'd say more art too but as disaplined and dedicated as sportspersons.

[Niamh.]

I'd say more art too but as disaplined and dedicated as sportspersons.

oh 100% maybe even more so

[Jessica.]

It's an athletic activity but I don't think there's a competitive aspect which would mean it's not exactly a sport. I feel like it should be allowed to count as one, ballet dancers work hard!

[Niamh.]

It's an athletic activity but I don't think there's a competitive aspect which would mean it's not exactly a sport. I feel like it should be allowed to count as one, ballet dancers work hard!

There are ballet Competitions

[Jessica.]

There are ballet CompetitionsWell, it's a sport then

[Niamh.]

Well, it's a sport then

I suppose my thinking would be, even though there are competitions probably the ultimate aim is to get into big productions, like winning the competitions would help you to achieve that aim - where as with sports like football, tennis and that sort of thing, the competitions and winning them are the end goal?

[Livia]

I don't think ballet can be classed as a sport simply because you can compete in competitions. I mean, The Turner Prize... that's a competition, but I wouldn't call painting or sculpting a sport.

But ask 100 people, get 100 different answers!

[Twosugars]

Rhythmic gymnastics is not million miles away from ballet and artistic merits are considered.
Suppose it could be turned into a sport but why?
Then again in ancient olympics
Artistic expression was a major part of the games. Sculptors, poets, painters and other artisans would come to the games to display their works in what became an artistic competition. wikipedia

[Nicky91]

Rhythmic gymnastics is not million miles away from ballet and artistic merits are considered.
Suppose it could be turned into a sport but why?
Then again in ancient olympics
wikipedia

figure skating also few ballet techniques i guess, like pirouettes

[Crimson Dynamo]

I remember working with a lad who was not that long married and one Monday
we were all talking on the sales floor about the weekend and football
#ladsladslads i someone said to Si "oi Si you went out with yor missus on
sat-day, where did you go?" and Si said "the...ballet...":umm2:. Literally there
was a moments lull and then he got ruined :joker:
He was genuinely known as Rudolf after that day. true story

[Livia]

I'm not convinced that Arts & Humanities sits well with Phys Ed. And while ballet is very inclusive, you can take ballet classes anywhere at any age to keep fit, football clubs have in the past employed ballet dancers for classes to help players improve their stamina, balance and fitness... but I think it's a very different kind of performance ballet dancers produce, from the performance of a track athlete or a gymnast. Just my take on it of course.

[Dogeatdog]

Nah I also agree and say it is more of an art like any other form of dancing than a sport, well for me personally anyways.

[Niamh.]

I don't think ballet can be classed as a sport simply because you can compete in competitions. I mean, The Turner Prize... that's a competition, but I wouldn't call painting or sculpting a sport.

But ask 100 people, get 100 different answers!

You can though, there are Ballet Competitions and I know there's definitely Irish dancing competitions, my niece enters the all irelands and worlds in that, it's highly competitive. I think I might be changing my mind on it actually :think:

[Twosugars]

I mean chess is classed as sport :shrug:

Those definitions seem pretty arbitrary
But why change it if it ain't broke?

[MTVN]

You can though, there are Ballet Competitions and I know there's definitely Irish dancing competitions, my niece enters the all irelands and worlds in that, it's highly competitive. I think I might be changing my mind on it actually :think:

Think Livia was saying that just because there are competitions it doesn't automatically make it a sport though

[Nicky91]

I mean chess is classed as sport :shrug:

Those definitions seem pretty arbitrary
But why change it if it ain't broke?

imagine chess being a official sport event at olympic games :skull:

which i cannot see happening since no one would tune in for that

[Niamh.]

Think Livia was saying that just because there are competitions it doesn't automatically make it a sport though

Oh yeah i misread her post .....apologies

[Ammi]

...dance in general, including ballet would be incorporated into the PE curriculum at many schools...so I guess it would be a crossover for both, as it’s an art form but it’s also physical education based...there are county ballet events and workshops for school children and they all come under the umbrella of Sport/PE...

[MTVN]

This article is sort of what I was thinking when I said some ballet dancers wouldn't want it to be considered a sport:

Before I begin, I must preface this by mentioning the fact that ballet is competitive. Ballerinas are extremely competitive with each other and the ballet world has a hint of a cutthroat culture. However, ballerinas are competitive with each other in the same way artists, musicians and actors are. Ballet itself is not a competitive sport; it is an art.

For years, the debate of art versus sport has angered ballerinas and has taken away the focus of the true artistry of dance. Yes, it cannot be ignored that ballet is an exceptionally physical performance art. According to a 1975 study done of 61 physical activities conducted by Dr. James A. Nicholas in the Journal of Sports Medicine, ballet ranked number one as the most physically and mentally demanding. The physical aspects of ballet are unnatural: turnout of the hips and dancing on your toes in pointe shoes are huge strains on the body. But, when attending a ballet performance, an audience member will never be able to see the strain on the body because of the ballerina’s ability to convey emotion, passion, and artistry. People attend ballets to see grace and beauty, not to see ballerinas struggle with the physical intensity of dance.
...

The true “wow!” factor of ballet comes from the entire performance as a whole. There is never a singular step that defines a ballet; it is the entire production that leaves audiences astounded and amazed. The purpose of ballets, especially the classical ones, is to tell the audience a story. Everything from the intricate set designs to the elegant costumes, to even the make-up, is crucial to a ballet’s tale and overall impression on the audience. So many artistic elements are combined to make a ballet performance what it is, and the dancers’ passion and emotion are the final touch to the show.

If dancers moved robotically and only performed tricks, ballets would never effectively tell a story and invite audiences into a two-hour world of enchantment and fantasy. Just because ballet is a performance art does not mean we should only pay attention to the steps and physicality, ultimately making it a sport. For it is the emotion and creativity in each dancer that ultimately makes ballet what it is: an art.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ballet-is-an-art-not-a-sp_b_4718929

[Crimson Dynamo]

i am sure the people who go and see ballet would be horrified to think they were watching sport

:joker:

[Nicky91]

i am sure the people who go and see ballet would be horrified to think they were watching sport

:joker:

tbf, it might look easy on the eye, but it is hard work i guess to get everything that precise, perfect

[Crimson Dynamo]

tbf, it might look easy on the eye, but it is hard work i guess to get everything that precise, perfect

so is driving a tank

[Oliver_W]

No more than tap or waltz.

[Livia]

i am sure the people who go and see ballet would be horrified to think they were watching sport

:joker:

I've been to West Ham and I've been to Saddler's Wells. There was no similarity whatsoever.

[Marsh.]

I don't see how you could compete in it, so no.

I know dancing has competitions and everything but I'm relatively sure ballet does not and is instead performed in theatre as an art, rather than a sport. I'm not sure I'd call ballroom/street dance 'sport' either, just... exercise? The scoring system in competitions is mostly based on artistic expression than physical athleticism.

But you could say the points in football aren't based on athleticism but who gets the ball in a net?

[Marsh.]

Of course it looks pissing hard

Cal in PE when the teacher tells her to go pick up the ball.

[Shaun]

But you could say the points in football aren't based on athleticism but who gets the ball in a net?

The points in football alone are indication that it's a competitive sport, lol, it doesn't matter how those are earned. "Point-based" games are easier to define as sports because there are clear guidelines in how the game is played and, more importantly, won.

Whilst there are indeed ballet competitions... there are also baking, sewing, singing and design competitions. Ballet, whilst more physical and demanding than those other examples, is still a little more hard to define when it comes to "who wins?" Racing has times, ball games have goals/tries/runs, pub games have points, athletics has heights/distances/times... but I suppose ballet is more like diving in the sense that only someone paying close attention can tell what the best score for a performance would be. In that sense it's still a sport, since diving is one :laugh: but I would imagine there are 100x the complexities in a ballet performance than there are in a single dive.

[Shaun]

Suppose it'd be closest compared to figure skating?

[Marsh.]

The points in football alone are indication that it's a competitive sport, lol, it doesn't matter how those are earned. "Point-based" games are easier to define as sports because there are clear guidelines in how the game is played and, more importantly, won.

Whilst there are indeed ballet competitions... there are also baking, sewing, singing and design competitions. Ballet, whilst more physical and demanding than those other examples, is still a little more hard to define when it comes to "who wins?" Racing has times, ball games have goals/tries/runs, pub games have points, athletics has heights/distances/times... but I suppose ballet is more like diving in the sense that only someone paying close attention can tell what the best score for a performance would be. In that sense it's still a sport, since diving is one :laugh: but I would imagine there are 100x the complexities in a ballet performance than there are in a single dive.

Would ballet not have points to win though like ballroom dancing competitions? Where they look for specific technique/stamina?

Niamh?

[Denver]

More of a sport then bloody motor racing

[Black Dagger]

I remember working with a lad who was not that long married and one Monday
we were all talking on the sales floor about the weekend and football
#ladsladslads i someone said to Si "oi Si you went out with yor missus on
sat-day, where did you go?" and Si said "the...ballet...":umm2:. Literally there
was a moments lull and then he got ruined :joker:
He was genuinely known as Rudolf after that day. true story

Phwoar. Fragile masculinity. We love it

[Jessica.]

I remember working with a lad who was not that long married and one Monday

we were all talking on the sales floor about the weekend and football

#ladsladslads i someone said to Si "oi Si you went out with yor missus on

sat-day, where did you go?" and Si said "the...ballet...":umm2:. Literally there

was a moments lull and then he got ruined :joker:

He was genuinely known as Rudolf after that day. true storyHa ha a man spending quality time with a woman and appreciating an art. What a laugh. :laugh3:

[Marsh.]

Let LT and his bantz live!

[Crimson Dynamo]

Phwoar. Fragile masculinity. We love it

Ha ha a man spending quality time with a woman and appreciating an art. What a laugh. :laugh3:

i dont think the most successful advertising salesfloor in London is the best place for you

:joker:

[bots]

golf is a sport but you don't need to be an athlete to participate. There are competitions in writing, music etc etc that are not sports so that doesn't define a sport either

An activity can be classified and sub classified in many categories, one picks the most suitable category when trying to define something and ballet would always be categorised as art before being considered as a sport

[michael21]

Never heard anyone refer to ballet as a sport before but there's a big debate on another forum about whether it is or isn't ? Thoughts? I know it's athletic and you have to be really fit and you can enter competition but it's still a dance I would have thought? hhmmmm :think:

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Is river dances a sport