Dancing is considered a sport for some people, and others are not. This research focuses on the physical and mental benefits of dance. According to Oxford Dictionaries, dance is “a series of steps and movements that correspond to the speed and rhythm of a piece of music (Oxford University Press, 2014). This research paper will refer to dance primarily as a sport rather than an art. This essay briefly explains what dance is and the different forms of dance. This essay explains what dance does to benefit you mentally and physically, detailing illnesses and problems you could prevent or cure through dance. This first section is based on what dance is. Dance is defined differently by different people. Some define it as a sport and others define it as an art. Some people dance for different reasons. Some people do dance as a sport, others as therapy, and still others do it simply recreationally. According to an article titled When Will Dancers Be Considered Athletes, dancing can be done competitively. Dancing is extremely beneficial for several reasons. According to When Will Dancers Be Considered Athletes, football players found that they had strengthened their ankles and feet, had increased agility, and were less likely to get injured due to their muscular strength after practicing a form of dance called ballet (Dancers: artists or athletes). ?).Dancing is, however, a difficult sport. According to Samantha Sobash, dance does not have specific seasons. In most sports there is a season where you compete and then once the season is over you train. During this training period, most people have a specific amount of rest time before resuming their training. In dance, because there are no specific seasons, athletes do not have time to...... middle of paper ......ability to move quickly, to have quick reactions to any movement and coordination that keeps you from falling. Both motor capacity and aerobic capacity are related and dependent on each other. If you have to dance for hours, you need to have endurance, but also maintain your speed, coordination and agility at a certain level to perform properly (BrianMac Sports Coach, January 23, 2014.). In conclusion, dancing is overall very good for your body physically and mentally. Your body needs exercise for many reasons. Your body needs a way to release stress in a healthy, but at the same time enjoyable, way. You need strong muscles to avoid everyday injuries. You can dance for competitive, therapeutic, recreational reasons. All types of dance are good for you. Athletes such as football players have found dancing beneficial to their own sport..