The question that people love to bicker about when talking about dance is this: Is dance a sport or an art form? Let’s just get this out of the way now: It’s both. There can be a competitive aspect to dance and some styles are more about technique than trying to convey a message, but most types of dance require technical ability while also trying to express something.
The point is that dance is a form of art, and just like other forms of art aren’t always happy or objectively pretty, we shouldn’t expect dance to always be. Yes, dance can be created just for fun or to pump up an audience, but that shouldn’t be the only kind of dancing we value as a society.
Sure, it’s fun to watch choreography created mainly to wow you, but have you ever seen a piece of art that made you feel an emotion you thought you’d forgotten or that resonated with you so deeply that it made you a little uncomfortable? That kind of art is just as important as art that makes you feel happy.
I’m not saying that dances always have to have a message or that dances that only aim to be visually pleasing are any less of a piece of art, I’m just saying that choreography that aims to connect with you on a deeper level shouldn’t be discounted as boring or less interesting than dances that are happy.
Don’t limit yourself to art that just aims to make you feel good. Seek out things that make you think of something in a way you hadn’t before or that challenges your beliefs. If you limit yourself to art that just makes you feel happy and never addresses anything deeper, you are missing out on a lot of great art and dances.