"I don't understand your paragraph Two. There was no court case. There was nothing that was a criminal offence."

It was not criminal court.

She took the drug testing people to court, which suspended her suspension, as a result of which she was free to win the world championship title, which was danced during the time when the drug testing people had said she would not be allowed to dance.

Yeah- it was just a sports court that ruled on the suspension by the drug committee in the IDSF.

That said- yes, competitive dancing is a sport now but if you look at all of the top dancers they work first to make something artistically beautiful- then they can use that to win. Not results first.

There are some benifits to be had now dancing is offically a sport. It puts them on a par with other sports that receive government funding. There aren' t many countries that dont have a Minster of Sport. We here have had a lot of help getting programs into place in schools.
Dance Easy is a strategicially
planed developement that actively and systematecally targets the education System. It comes in a package form . More about that from Dancesport Australia. Go to Easydance.

"There are some benifits to be had now dancing is offically a sport. It puts them on a par with other sports that receive government funding."

On the other hand, the organized, government-backed intensive training of young children into future champions has pretty much signed the death warrant of serious amateur competition.

With no legitimate, actualy non-professional amateur divisions remaining on the world stage, an honorable tradition of amateur achivement has been pretty much reduced to the sunday circuit... and the audience.

It could make an interesting discussion. Lets look at this as it is. Where do you think the best dancers in the world today are coming from. Don' t be fooled into thinking that this or that couple are home produced because they dance with a flag on their back. Where did they learn there craft. They learn' t in countries that have had junior development plans in place for years. It will continue that way unless the light at the end of that tunnel is seen. You have and we have dance people who are interested in one thing only, money. The developement of dancing is the furthest thing from their minds. They are quite happy to keep everything just as it is. To be continued I am sure.

They ?-- who are " they " ?--blanket statements and generalisations , supply no factual information. ( I of course, can quote instances, but the exception ,not the rule )

There are those that say( Sports announcers in particular )that if it doesnt have a ball-- then its not a sport-- my response ?-- what about Ice Hockey ?-- and -- the " sport " of Kings-- Horse racing .

Is not the very definition of " sporting event " the skills of one individual ( or more ) pitted against another ? ( pitted, interesting word-- a fighting / sporting arena )

If skating and gymnastics are sports, than ballroom dancing also is a sport.

Whether they call it a sport or not. For us social dancers, it can provide exercise and fun comnparable to any sport.

You got that right !!!!!

Sport
1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature.

Dance requires skill and physical prowess (to perform at a high level, but that's implied in the definition as well). In "competitions" it is of a competitive nature. Meets the definition.

One of the keys is that sport doesn't even have to be competitive. Duck hunting is considered a sport, but the only loser is the duck (or fish or pheasant or deer).

So, in dance, if you just work hard to get physically better at dancing, even though you don't compete, you are still taking part in sport.

It has nothing to do with whether it is "pretty" or not, or whether there is a winner or loser.

i agree. it is both a sport and an art.