In this month’s What’s Up student column, EUSA ESC volunteer Dorina Nagy reflects on whether dancing is a real sport - or if we have simply underestimated how much strength, discipline, and endurance it truly takes.

Drawing from personal experience, she explores the physical demands of dance and challenges common perceptions that place it outside the world of sport.

Lots of people around the world celebrate New Year’s Eve with dancing - some at small gatherings, some at clubs, some at thematic nights. For most of these people, dance is only a form of entertainment, stress releasing, something to do on a weekend night. But there is a deeper debate among some people: is dance really a sport or just a form of art?

I have always loved dancing, but in my youth, it was only going to clubs on the weekend to have fun with friends. I started dancing salsa 3 years ago and quickly got addicted in the best way possible. 90 minutes of dancing once, then after a few months, twice or either 3 times a week, plus salsa practices and parties during the weekends. During these lessons or parties, we not only have fun but also engage in physical activity. Dancing to one fast-paced song already makes everyone sweat just like a training in the gym, imagine 15 of them in a row!

According to one definition, sport is „all types of physical activity that people do to keep healthy or for enjoyment”, but for some people, sport is all about teams, points, and scores. Competitive dance checks all these criteria. Ballroom and Latin dancers are scored on timing and precision, hip-hop teams compete with others on execution, teamwork, and precision. The World DanceSport Federation even governs international competitions, and breakdancing made its Olympic debut at Paris 2024. If that doesn’t count as sport, what does?

On the other hand, not all dancers perform to win; they do to express something, to tell a story, to evoke emotions. For centuries, dance has been tied to rituals and theatre, rather than competition. And because many styles are dominated by women, it’s sometimes unfairly dismissed as “graceful” despite the physical effort involved. Dance is often judged by feeling and interpretation, not by points or finish times. That’s why dance is often placed in the arts.

Spend ten minutes watching a serious rehearsal, and you’ll see how wrong that stereotype is. Dancers train like athletes - long hours, strict diets, and endless repetition. They develop explosive strength, incredible flexibility, and fine-tuned coordination. They rehearse coreographies for countless hours until they are perfectly executed. In teams, it is even more challenging to make everyone step at the same time and do exactly what is needed.

Perhaps that’s what makes dance so unique - it lives between the two worlds. Dancers are athletes who tell stories through movement. They don’t just perform; they compete, create, and inspire.

So whether you see it as art, sport, or a perfect mix of both, one thing’s certain: dancers deserve a place in the conversation every bit as much as any athlete.

The author of this What's Up column is Dorina Nagy, EUSA ESC Volunteer, Sport Management Master's degree student, sport event enthusiast who loves watching all kinds of sports and learning about them.