It's everywhere. Ballroom dancing is taking the world by storm. Dancing With the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and Dance Your Ass Off are just a few of the highly publicized televised reality shows focusing on Ballroom Dancing. And with the imminent inclusion of Ballroom Dancing in the Olympic Games, the question is raised...is dance an art or a sport? The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has accepted Ballroom Dancing as a sport and is now referred to as "Dancesport." This decision brings about much discussion not only from the general public, but from the dancers or athletes themselves. Many dancers feel what they do is a work of Art, while others feel they are truly sportsmen. Still others feel that the combination of the two worlds of Art and Sport is necessary for perfection of their passion.

Because of the intense physical conditioning behind dance, competitive ballroom dancing takes a tremendous amount of energy, stamina, hard work and mental concentration which is equal to any other athletic sport. It can be highly competitive and requires flexibility, agility and complete body awareness. Ballroom dancers not only have to control their own physical movement, they must also coordinate that movement with another person giving the appearance of two bodies moving as one. In competitions, dancers are judged on specific foot placement, size of steps, speed, control, flexibility and spatial awareness.

Competitive dancing includes a variety of dance styles all focusing on different aspects of movement, skill, and physical ability. The Latin dances such as Rumba, Cha Cha, Samba, and Bolero require muscle control in the torso and legs. Perfect movement cannot be achieved without strong abdominal, hip, thigh, and back action. The smooth dances which include Waltz, Tango and Foxtrot, not only require strong hamstring and quadriceps strength for travel around the dance floor, but also strong back, shoulder and neck muscles for perfect posture and the ability to maintain a close dance hold with a partner. Swing dancing focuses on high energy and cardiovascular endurance.

The term "sport" according to The American Heritage Dictionary is defined as "an activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively". So yes, many may then agree that by definition Ballroom dancing is truly a sport.

But how do you pick a winner when there is no finish line to cross? Winners in the dance world are chosen by subjective opinions as well as objective measures. What separates dance from many other sports is interpretive movement to music. We must be able to express an emotion, whether it's through a facial expression, connection with our partner, or lines we create with our bodies. We must tell a story. We create a feeling. Artistic interpretation and development are crucial to our performance. I've heard Latin dancing compared to a vertical expression of a horizontal desire. I don't think that's required on a tennis court.

So I feel dance includes the best of both worlds. Dancers are allowed to be expressive as well as to push themselves to further levels of excellence among their peers. We communicate not only with our partners but with the audience as well. It's not only about how I feel while I am dancing, but how I can make YOU feel while you are watching me. Call me an entertainer, an exhibitionist, an athlete or an artist, it makes no difference to me. I call myself a dancer.