By Anna Caudill, Editor-in-Chief

Dance and cheerleading have long been considered “sissy sports,” or not even sports at all. Having danced since age 3, I find that offensive. Not that dance is considered sissy, or not a sport, but that it is lumped together with such competitive activities that involve scoring goals and making touchdowns.

Dance isn’t a sport. It is an art that requires intense athleticism and physicality. Dancers might not pass balls or get grass stains, but the sweat and training we put into our own art form should not be belittled by the sports players of little faith.

I have never been a competitive dancer. My weekly classes and annual recital are all I have mainly participated in over the past 15 years. While competitive dance and cheerleading can be argued by some to be a sport simply for the fact that it is competitive and scores are involved, the two activities veer far from the world of turf and scoreboards.

The artistic and physical ability required to dance or perform gymnastic stunts should be enough to make people accept these activities as a sport. Sure, you don’t have a ball to catch or opponents to outrun, but you need to have complete control of your body – every muscle, limb and foot … even every finger. Not only does this physical awareness parallel or surpass that required of your average team sport, but it also grants advantages crossing over into the world of sports.

The flexibility and balance I have developed by dancing has helped me as a runner and jumper, and helped back in my soccer days. When you’re more flexible, you’re less likely to pull something, and I haven’t pulled anything … yet. And who knew that my senses of balance and rhythm as a result of dance would give me a leg up in learning and succeeding in the triple jump?

Dance has provided me versatility within my athletic life. While some athletes bike, swim or compete in some other sport for cross-training, I dance for cross-training. And personally, I’d much rather spend a few hours a week in the studio than in the YMCA cycling with the older ladies after work, but that’s just me.

Behind all the tulle and pink tights or glitter eye shadow and sparkly bows, dancers and competitive cheerleaders are legitimate athletes. Are they scoring goals? No. Are they technically competing in a sport? No. I don’t think so.

Are they putting in many hours in the studio or gym training as hard – or harder – than any other athlete?  Well, yeah, I think you could say that.

While dance and competition cheerleading shouldn’t be considered sports, those who dance or competitively cheer should be recognized for their hard work and training as athletes in the arts. I’d like to see some of you sportsmen try to whip out a triple pirouette or land a round-off-back-handspring.

And for those of you dancers and/or competitive cheerleaders out there who agree with me, you aren’t alone. The Dancing Boots and varsity cheerleaders at Reynolds get letters just like all of the school’s other athletes.

They just might be a little more graceful.