Dancers are Stupid

Don’t you just hate that age-old stereotype? I know I do. I may not be a professionally trained dancer but I have been dancing for the majority of my 26 years and it really bothers me when people assume that if a person dances, they are automatically categorized on the lower end of the smart-scale.

People complain that dancers aren’t conversationalist because they are known for thinking with their feet as opposed to their brain. Contrary to popular belief, I have found that most dancers are very animated and can be interesting storytellers, despite being practitioners of a nonverbal art. Correct me if you think I’m being biased, but although dancers need to keep their bodies nimble, it does not consequently imply that they are depleting mentally, as well.

Turning things around, what bothers me more than the stereotype are the dancers that fuel it. Just because we are perceived that way, does not mean we need to give the judgers of world the satisfaction of being right. If anything, we should be proving them wrong. Dancing actually demands the most instant of thinking, as your brain is constantly telling every little part of your body when and how to move; it stimulates and reduces stress, allowing you to use your brain better, even off the dance floor.

So, my dear dancers, please, your brain has been beautifully formed by the countless hours of passion and commitment. Use it and use it well, because at the end of the day, it really is your loss if you don’t. And lastly, to the judgers of the world, let’s see you do a head spin or a double pirouette! Just kidding. No. Really.