La Danza Urbana Como Deporte Artístico, Intersección Entre Arte y Rendimiento Deportivo en Colombia y Brasil. Reflexión narrativa

Abstract

This reflective article analyzes urban dance as a discipline situated at the intersection between artistic expression and athletic performance, based on the experience of an academic mission carried out in Brazil and the experience as a dancer of different styles and genres for more than 8 years. The objective was to understand the trends of this transition towards high performance, contextualizing its cultural role, contrasting the socioeconomic and sports factors that drive its professionalization, and evaluating its impact as a tool for social cohesion. Methodologically, a qualitative interpretative and interdisciplinary approach was employed, which integrated a documentary review, participant observation in the PUC-Rio seminar, and a single semi-structured interview with the director of Olympic sports of the Club de Regatas do Flamengo. The results show that, although urban dance demands a physical and cognitive rigor comparable to elite sports, Its competitive development is strongly limited by the absence of systematic-standardized measurement manuals and the reliance on empirical subjective evaluations, which increases the risk of injuries and does not recognize athletic potential. It is concluded that to consolidate this practice as a high-performance artistic sport, it is essential to implement quantitative evaluation models, require certifications for coaches aligned with international standards such as the WDSF or HHI, and promote a formal hierarchical institutional articulation within the National Sports System.