Acro/Dance class for gymnasts

[MaryA]

For the past few years, my gymmie has been taking acro classes at the dance studio where my dancing dd takes classes. It started out, back when she was just in rec classes, as a way to give her a chance to perform. After all, her sister got to dance in a recital, and she didn't. Little did we know that the next year gymnastics team would take over our lives. But it's a Y team, so less intense than others, so she continued in acro.

Well, a year or so ago, I suggested to the acro teacher that she offer some sort of acro/dance class for gymnasts (the Y is only about a block from the dance studio). I would love for Kathy to have more dance experience, but in her mind, dance is something her sister does and therefore IS NOT something that Kathy does (and Tory feels the same way about gymnastics). So I thought maybe a class that had enough tumbling in it to keep my gymmie interested but also gave her some basic dance stuff would be a good thing.

So I just found out today that her teacher is going to offer a class like that this year. Lyrical Acro and Dance for Gymnasts, they're calling it. And she wanted to know if there was some sort of a book that would tell her what requirements are at each level so that she can work some of those things into the class (I'm guessing she means stuff like different kinds of leaps and dance moves and such... they only have basic mats so the tumbling can't be too intense). I'm thinking the girls who end up taking the class are likely to be level 4-5-6 ish. Other than youtube, where should I point her? Any other suggestions I should make for such a class?

Thanks!

 

[mayestra12]

That sounds like an awesome class!

 

[Muddlethru]

I don't have a site to which I can refer you. But since my DD has gone through those levels, I may be able to get you started. A classic barre work is very beneficial; releves, balances on one foot, working on turnout, extensions, grand battement, developes, tendus, frappes, everything ballet dancers do at barre will gymnasts with their form, leg and ankle strength, hold leg extensions, balance, hand/arm placement, etc. Turnout is more important in higher level gymnastics than we think. As far as floor, grand jetes (split leaps), straddle jumps, stag leaps, tour jete and switch splits (for higher levels, they can start training these), chasses, turns (dance/ballet pirouttes are typically outside turns, whereas gymnastics uses inside turns--same with turns done with one leg on the horizpntal-fouettes in ballet are done going outside). If the purpose and concentration of the class is for gymnastics, then the teacher must know the difference been turns and leaps. A good example are split leaps. In Gymnastics a grand jete is executed with a straight leg whereas ballet uses a develope into a split leap. The use of the latter may void the skill at a meet. So there is a little switching to do from dance and gymnastics.But no matter how you look at it, it is beneficial to have dance integrated into a gymnast's training.

 

[Blazing15]

Here is a website that on the right hand side has all the requirements for each level. Maybe she can go through and look at them and see what skills she wants to put in.

The World of Gymnastics