Dance is an art, a creative portal, a form of expression; it's a sport. In addition to all that dance can be, it is also something physical. It takes work, power and commitment. It takes stamina, grace, and an extreme amount of muscle and flexibility. What athletes must have, all these characteristics. When it comes to athletes of any kind, dance can help hone their skills. Something that most athletes don't seem to understand is that dance is just as physical and athletic as their sport. Dance can help in areas where normal conditioning, training, stretching and practice cannot. Dance is not just a sport, but an art. When athletes participate in the arts, it makes them more well-rounded people. As Albert Einstein said, “Dancers are God's athletes.” (Quotes by Albert Einstein). The arts awaken the right brain, giving people the ability to think more openly and creatively, find musicality and rhythm. Along with the imagination and innovation brought by the right hemisphere, dance can help increase spatial development by awakening the left hemisphere. The left hemisphere brings holistic thinking and mental flexibility, thus increasing the ability to solve problems. It can help with pattern recognition and the ability to calculate and plan. It provides greater motivation to learn and can improve overall academic performance. Dance can open the mind and give a person greater self-confidence, greater self-esteem and stronger self-determination. With dance, people are more likely to be persistent and precise and develop a greater sense of accomplishment. The social outcomes are better listening skills, improved communication and a better conception of teamwork, cooperation...... middle of the document ......itedCitation“Albert Einstein | Albert Einstein Quotes." Albert Einstein | Albert Einstein Official Site. GreenLight LLC, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Web. January 22, 2012. Dascomb, Audrey. "Benefits of Dance." National Registry of Dance Educators. Web. 13 January 2012.Injuries, Stop Sport "Basketball injuries | Prevention and Treatment of Basketball Injuries." STOP Sports Injuries | Sports Injury Prevention. National Athletic Trainers Association. Web. January 15, 2012 Overstreet Allen, Lee Ann. "Ensworth Athletes Hit the Barre." Boys and Ballet. The Tennessean, December 7 2009. Web. 24 October 2011. Shea, Griffin. “Young Footballers in South Africa Turn to Ballet.” Sowetan - News, April 3, 2009. Web. October 24, 2011. Shepherd, John Their Path to Agility? Sports training | Sports fitness. P2P publishing. nd Web. 24 October. 2011.