Okanagan Rhythmic Gymnastics
Acrobatic Gymnastics
Acrobatic Gymnastics involves gymnasts working together in partnerships to perform dynamic, balance, and/or combined routines that consist of acrobatic skills, tumbling, and choreography.
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It is open to both males and females and combines thrilling skills and with artistic dance routines.
The discipline requires courage and stamina, while demanding flexibility and skill.
Exercises are accompanied by music, harmoniously in keeping with gymnasts’ choreography, body movements, and musical culture.
Acrobatic Gymnasts can compete in 3 different kinds of routines.
Balance
Focused on strength, poise and flexibility
Dynamic
Focused on throws and catches
Combined
Includes both balance and dynamic elements
In each partnership, the gymnasts' different sizes and abilities will be balanced to complement each other in order to carry out the complex moves. Bases will carry out supporting and pitching roles. They are then balanced with usually smaller gymnasts who become the tops. In men's and women's groups there is also one or two middles, who are like another base who usually will support the top while balancing on the base.
Partnerships are divided into 5 different categories.
History of Acrobatic Gymnastics
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The sport was practised as early as the ancient Egyptian period, as we can see in certain frescos. Its name comes from the Greek acrobateo, meaning to rise or go forth.
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The first use of acrobatics as a specific sport was in the Soviet Union in the 1930s, and the first world championships were in 1974.
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In 1998, the discipline joined the International Gymnastics Federation, with the overreaching goal to unite all the Gymnastics disciplines and to have Acrobatics ultimately become an Olympic sport.
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Since 2007, the discipline has been known as Acrobatic Gymnastics.