by Aaron Hicks

Strength, control, coordination, footwork, unfiltered boldness, and at times, cringeworthy confidence—these are the marks of both skaters and dancers. Skating and dancing are brothers in the family of physical movement, both forming poetry written by the feet. Each practice is full of vast creative options, demand intense devotion, joyfully voyeuristic, and we are all envious at those who are great at them.

Skateboarding and dancing share many parallels, such as global subcultures and communities, demand years of practice, and a “rhythm” that takes time to develop and perfect. Both are rooted in self-expression, physical control, and music. Every dance performance and legendary skate video is held together by the musical spine that gives it life.

Like dancing, skateboarding offers individuals the joy of expressing themselves in their own unique style within their chosen genres. The West Coast’s flowy, structured, and historically significant skate scene mirrors the qualities of ballet. Fluid, rich in history, and set within structured environments, where massive pools and parks serve as theaters and studios. In contrast, New York skaters are like tap dancers—gritty, chaotic, improvisers who are always adapting in the bustling city with a raw rhythm.

Dancing and skating allow creative expression nonverbally through physical movement. Both forms of self-expression arise from an innate human desire to move. A desire to break free from stillness, and to lose ourselves in the pure joy of rhythm—whether it’s the beat of a song or the roll of wheels on pavement. In both cases, movement becomes art, an extension of our inner selves made visible through motion.