The True Athletic Ability of Dancers
By: Julissa Garcia / Alpha Media Intern
Dance may seem effortless to the audience and viewers, but the athleticism that dancers need to have requires more effort than meets the eye. Dancers train so intensely to allow their bodies to perform their talent as one big effortless combination of technique, skills, and movement from their entire body, all while on beat to the music.
Dancing may seem like a piece of cake, but that is only because most dancers practice for several hours a day, working and perfecting their craft of their art and passion. I started dancing when I was 2 ½ years old and have been working on my dance ability and skills for over 20 years. You can always point your feet more, do one extra turn, get your leg up one more inch, and really do anything in dance that can require a little bit more. There really is no perfection in the dance world. This is something that I love about dance because there is always so much more for a dancer to grow, learn, and get better while doing something that relies on passion and emotion.
Dancing requires balance, poise, coordination, grace, flexibility, and control, but dancers also have to be strong, push their endurance, have high stamina, an intense attention to detail, and be able to be both mentally and physically tough. A key factor that sets dancers apart from the typical athlete is their artistry ability and creative skill. Dance alignment and technique focus on elongating the muscles to create aesthetically pleasing longer lines. Dancers have precise footwork and a lot of awareness about their body strength. Many dancers cross-train, whether this involves running or weightlifting, the main goal is to build strength to improve overall performance and reduce the imbalance of weaknesses. Dance requires so many athletic skills that many people do not think about while watching dancers showcase their seamless and effortless routines, but dancers are very much athletes and train in similar ways to be able to do the things that they do on a daily basis.
