What makes dancers athletes

Since physiological aspects of performing dance have been viewed primarily in the context of ballet, further scientific research on all forms of dance is required. Abstract The physical demands placed on dancers from current choreography and performance schedules make their physiology and fitness just as important as skill development. Publication types Review. Take our flexibility test to find out. Bodily awareness and coordination: Dance strengthens your mind-body connection.

Boyd agrees, noting that "there are big, intricate movements in dance, and your brain is processing those and helping you execute them. You're aware of where you want your body to go, and how you want it to move. Over time, you find yourself thinking less and just getting after it! Catching on to activities or workouts with patterns, rhythm, or beats will come a bit easier for dancers. Confidence: "I've met people who declared they'd 'never dance,' but then gave it a shot, and now they're hooked," says Pryce.

Confidence plays a role not only in feeling good about yourself and your body, but also your willingness to try new things or pursue physical goals-like finally hitting that PR you've been after. Social connection: "Expect to meet and connect with the people around you," Pryce says. Our ancestors did it as a way to bond and celebrate, so we are hardwired to want connection through this type of movement.

Awareness of your surroundings: "In the boxing ring, I'm always preaching the importance of knowing where you are-if you know moving to your left will make you run into the corner and get stuck, then move to your right instead," Ortiz says. Okay, so you're ready to give dance a try. But what kind? Experts say the type of dance you go for doesn't matter as much as you might think, but here are some suggestions based on where you are in your fitness journey and what you're looking to get out of it.

It's dance blended with fitness, so there will always be parts that you can pick up right away burpees, planks, lunges, etc. Talk about multitasking. Dancing takes a toll on the body, just like any other sport. And just like athletes, dancers train hard to win and get the right gears to execute their winning routines - like Latin dance shoes.

Athletism and competitiveness go hand in hand. An athlete must have a strong desire to win to push his mind, body, and spirit into winning. The same thing can be said for dancers, they push themselves hard to outperform and outlast the competition!

The execution may be different between traditional sports and competitive dancing but athletes and dancers share the same competitive spirit that compels them to train hard and perfect their performance.

And the competition in these sporting genres is cutthroat. Unless you have the right form and mindset, you will not win. Athletes and dancers share the same unshakeable dedication to win a competition no matter the motivation. What's more, dancers have their own gears to increase their chances of winning, like high quality dance shoes. Regardless if you are dancing solo, with a dance partner, or with a group of dancers, every successful performance is a team effort. Teamwork is always at play even when you dance solo.

You have your dance coach, your choreographer, your support system, people who are directly and indirectly involved in the whole process! The same thing can be said for athletes engaged in traditional sports.