I feel like arguing by technical definitions you could reasonably classify certain things as a sport that aren’t commonly culturally considered a sport, but that do involve physical fitness, competition, skill, an audience, and often coordination with other people. People who really do dance seriously have to be fit, basically every arts field ever is super competitive and requires at least a bare minimum of skill to succeed (yes, I know about all the pop singers people think suck, they still at least attain a bare minimum bar that I’ve seen grown adults obliviously fail to pass. I know enough about music to know I don’t pass that bar either), dancing does have an audience (typical example is people going to watch ballet), and although you can dance solo quite a few dances involve partners or a whole team. But we all know it doesn’t fit what most people consider sports. I do wonder what draws that cultural “line in the sand” that makes it so most people don’t think of dance when they think of sports.

I don’t dance seriously, so I don’t know much about how intense its physical requirements are, or how much of it surrounds pushing your body to its limits, although I’m pretty sure it is about precisely moving your body in a particular way at the right time, so it is focused on physical activity. Maybe the focus on music and artistic expression instead of just the physical task “takes away” from its sports-ness? (Full disclosure, I speak as a person who doesn’t follow sports, but isn’t a hater of them.) Maybe that it’s not always a competition? People dance at weddings or parties without having anyone try to judge who’s better. But then again, you can run or bike or swim without trying to beat anyone.

You could also make a similar argument for marching band. Yes, there are competitions! The most well-known ones are associated with DCI, Drum Corps International. Depending on how good your high school/college was at it you might not be aware of the athleticism it’s capable of demanding. (Video is very short) But again, this culturally doesn’t count as a sport. Maybe because there’s a stereotype of more less-athletically-inclined folks participating? Is it like my dance guesses, the focus on music and artistic expression instead of just the physical task taking away from “sports-ness,” or that it’s not always a competitive activity?

I didn’t play or follow sports growing up. I have done marching band, and I have no particular investment in anything not traditionally considered a sport being deemed as such. I just think it makes for an interesting topic.