Bear in mind, that this is coming from the perspective of a dancer who has never played any other sports. Don't take this seriously, it just randomly popped into my head, and I wanted to make an essay that sounded intelligent. (For once XD)
So here's why I think dance is the hardest sport.
In basketball, you're battling your body. You're fighting to become a better player, a faster runner, a better shooter, etc.
In dance, you're battling your body, your mind, and the world.
Your body, because, like other sports, you're constantly working to better yourself. You're pushing your body to its limits. And with dance (and a lot of other sports), there is no limit. There's always something harder, something you can do better.
You're also battling your mind. I haven't known a single dancer who has never looked at themselves and said "I need to be skinnier" or "I need to be healthier". Dancers are all about the 'If I was this' and 'If I was that'. Did you know that 14.6% of dancers have eating disorders, 50% of dancers are underweight, and body dysmorphia is more common in dancers than the general population?
And lastly, you're battling the world. The world thinks ballet is just for girls, the world thinks dance isn't a sport, the world thinks TikTok dances are actual dancing (🙄), the world thinks dancers aren't skinny enough, the world thinks that dancers are too skinny, the list goes on and on. It's ridiculous.
As dancers, we're not just battling our body, we're battling the stigma of the world, our own mind telling us to eat less and be healthier, even the constant perfectionism that just kinda comes with the sport.
That's my short essay on dance! Thanks for reading ❤️❤️
