Are you an artist? Back

Jun 11, 2010

By Cynthia Robinson

Last week I was talking to my ballroom class about dance being an art. We take time during class to sit down and talk for five minutes about upcoming events, our personal lives, and anything else

someone wants to bring up. It's really more of a bonding time for us. So I'm talking and felt compelled to talk about dance being an art.

It went something like this.

Me: Make sure you take pride in what you do within the dance community; after all it is an art form and you are a part of that.

Random Student: ((blank look on face))

Me: Yes, dancing is an art and ballroom, stepping, bopping is included with that. So don't see yourself only as hanging out, or going to parties. You are dancers and dancing is one of the arts. So when you come to classes you are learning an art. When you go to events you are enjoying one of the arts.

Another Random Student: Umm, yeah you right.

What got me was there wasn't a real ownership in what sounded grand to me. At first thought, I figured some may not take esteem in knowing how to dance. We enjoy it, we love it and do it whenever we can. Although some may just see it as s random skill. Do you see yourself as an artist?

Now, I'm an information fanatic, so the first thing I do is look up 'dance'. To seek greater information on how dance is classified; not to have someone tell me that dance is an art. So here it goes:

Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body.....used as a form of expression, social interaction ... dance may also be regarded as a form of nonverbal communication.

Dance was written as just that. Yes, different styles and categories, but the category of dance doesn't determine if it's an art. Instead it is the common denominator of expression, body movement and interaction. So make sure you take pride in what you do within the dance community; after all it is an art form and you are a part of that.