If you rather like to swing your hips than to strain your muscles: in Italy you will be right. Italian sports officials have decided to recognize dancing as an official sport with its own federation. Tangos, foxtrots and waltzes will have the same dignity as volleyball, basketball and athletics.
Italy’s National Olympic Committee has welcomed DanceSports into its Olympic family by formally recognising the Italian Federation of Dancing Sports.
According to the Italian statistics bureau, over one million Italians now take part in organised dance courses, more than double the participants registered in 2000.
In 1997, the International Olympic Committee granted the International DanceSport Federation status as a recognised federation and a member of the IOC, but DanceSport has not been included in the medal programme of the Olympic Games.
According to observers, TV shows featuring celebrities who learn to dance are partly the cause of the recent popularity.
Last year the most popular of these programmes, RAI state televisions Dancing with the Stars, was won by Italy’s former world champion long jumper Fiona May. She had no doubts that dancing was tough enough to be counted a sport.
“Dancers are physically very strong, They are in fact fully-fledged athletes and they deserve to have their own proper sports federation,” she said.

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