High wire act

Acrobatics (from Greek Akros, high and bat, walking) is one of the performing arts, and is also practiced as a sport. Acrobatics involves difficult feats of balance, agility and coordination. Nearly any performance or sport which involves full-body activity—especially in short, highly controlled bursts of activity—can be considered acrobatics. Typical examples are, first and foremost, all the subdivisions of gymnastics, but specialized activities like ballet and diving could also be included. In a narrow sense, the term "acrobatics" refers to "acrobatic gymnastics," a specialized subdivision of gymnastics. Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 289 KB)High wire acrobats, without a net, Jade Screen Waterfall, Huang Shan, China. ... Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 289 KB)High wire acrobats, without a net, Jade Screen Waterfall, Huang Shan, China. ... Tightrope walking is a spectacle activity usually performed for the amusement of an audience. ... The performing arts are those forms of art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artists own body, face and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some... Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, gracefulness, and kinesthetic awareness, and includes such skills as handsprings, handstands, split leaps, aerials and cartwheels. ... For other uses, see Ballet (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Dive. ...

History

Acrobats in a Paris suburb, by Viktor Vasnetsov (1877)

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (840x1352, 509 KB) Viktor Vasnetsov. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (840x1352, 509 KB) Viktor Vasnetsov. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Self-portrait 1873 Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (Виктор Михайлович Васнецов) (May 15 (N.S.), 1848—1926) was a Russian artist who specialized in mythological and historical subjects. ...

Western history

Acrobatic traditions are found in many cultures. In the West, Minoan art from circa 2000 BC contains depictions of acrobatic feats on the backs of bulls, which may have been a religious ritual.^[1] Occident redirects here. ... The Minoan civilization was a bronze age civilization which arose on Crete, an island in the Aegean Sea. ... (Redirected from 2000 BC) (21st century BC - 20th century BC - 19th century BC - other centuries) (3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC) Events 2064 - 1986 BC -- Twin Dynasty wars in Egypt 2000 BC -- Farmers and herders travel south from Ethiopia and settle in Kenya. ... A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. ...

Korean acrobat walking, Jultagi

The court displays of the European Middle Ages would often involve acrobatic performances along with song, juggling and other activities. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2064 × 1548 pixels, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2064 × 1548 pixels, file size: 3. ... Jultagi is traditional Korean performance of tightrope-walking. ... A royal or noble court, as an instrument of government broader than a court of justice, comprises an extended household centered on a patron whose rule may govern law or be governed by it. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... For other uses, see Song (disambiguation). ... Juggling is a form of skillful, often artful, object manipulation. ...

Though initially the term applied to tight-rope walking, in the 19th century, a form of performance art including gymnastics and circus acts began to use the term as well. In the late 19th century, tumbling and other acrobatic/gymnastic activities became a competitive sport in Europe. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, gracefulness, and kinesthetic awareness, and includes such skills as handsprings, handstands, split leaps, aerials and cartwheels. ... For other uses, see Circus (disambiguation). ...

Acrobatics in Western history have become a key subject for fine art. An excellent example is Acrobats at the Cirque Fernando (Francisca and Angelina Wartenberg) by Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir which depicts two German acrobatic sisters. The painting resides at the Art Institute of Chicago. See also Impressionist (entertainment): A girl with a watering can by Renoir, 1876 Impressionism was a 19th century art movement, which began as a private association of Paris-based artists who exhibited publicly in 1874. ... Pierre-Auguste Renoir (February 25, 1841–December 3, 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. ... The Art Institute of Chicago is a fine art museum located in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Eastern history

In China, acrobatics (“Hundred Plays”) have been a part of the culture since the Western Han Dynasty, over 2500 years ago. Acrobatics were part of village harvest festivals.^[2] Han Dynasty in 87 BC Capital Changan (202 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–190 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 - 24  - Abdication to Cao Wei 220... For other uses, see Festival (disambiguation). ...

During the Tang Dynasty, acrobatics saw much the same sort of development as European acrobatics saw during the Middle Ages with court displays during the 7th through 10th century dominating the practice.^[3] Today the performance art remains to be one of the most important performances offered within Chinese variety art, mostly referred to in the west as "Chinese Circus". For the band, see Tang Dynasty (band). ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... Variety arts in China, including tightrope walking, acrobatics, animal acts, and sleight of hand date back at least as far as the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) and were very popular in the imperial court. ...

Education

Traditionally, acrobatic skills were kept within families and passed from parents to children. This is still true especially among family circus groups nowadays. However, most acrobats are now taught by larger scale education systems, as circuses are now made up of many more professionals than they used to be. Many schools specializing in acrobatics art are providing a constant resource of acrobatic artists. Some of these schools are independently operated, and some are supported and affiliated to circuses. For other uses, see Circus (disambiguation). ...

Acrobatic Gymnastics

The first use of acrobatics as a specific sport was in the Soviet Union in the 1930s,^[1] and the first world championships were in 1974. The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the World Depression. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ...

Acrobatic Gymnastics are judged in five categories:

• Men’s pair
• Women’s pair
• Mixed pairs
• Women’s group (trio)
• Men's group (quadruples)

A sixth and seventh category for tumbling (men’s and women’s) were discontinued in the world championships in 1999. Many sports acrobatics groups continue to hold tumbling events, however.^[4] Typically tumbling consists of three series of acrobatic elements performed on the run, including somersaults and handsprings. This article is about the year. ... In gymnastics, the floor refers to a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. ... Facsimile of a Woodcut in Exercises in Leaping and Vaulting, by A. Tuccaro: 4to (Paris, 1599). ... A handspring is a gymnastics maneuver with two variations - the front handspring and the back handspring. ...

The five types of event are choreographed with music. They can involve dance, tumbling and “partner skills” which can in turn involve “balance” and “dynamic” skills. Dynamic skills involve some form of aerial manoeuvre while balance skills involve poses and holds. Look up Choreography in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ...

Sports acrobatics is the original and Acrobatic Gymnastics is now the official name for the sport, though it is known as Acro-gymnastics, Acro Gymnastics or Acrogymnastics as well.

In June 2006, four London Men became Acrobatic Gymnastic World Champions in the Mens Four.

There are a few acrobatic federations, including AFSA (acrobatics federation of South Africa).

Many dance studios hold acrobatics classes, and you can take shield or medal exams. [1]

See also

• gymnastics
• tumbling
• trampolining
• trapeze work
• wire-walking
• acrobalance
• corde lisse
• aerial tissu
• handstand
• bossaball
• hopak
• juggling
• contortion
• pole climbing
• springboard diving
• tower diving
• salto del pastor
• adagio
• Spanish web
• wushu
• parkour
• Balancing Acts- a documentary about acrobat Man Fan Tong

Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, gracefulness, and kinesthetic awareness, and includes such skills as handsprings, handstands, split leaps, aerials and cartwheels. ... In gymnastics, the floor refers to a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. ... Trampolining is a competitive sport in which gymnasts perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. ... An acrobat below a balloon Trapeze artists, in lithograph by Calvert Litho. ... Tightrope walking is a spectacle activity usually performed for the amusement of an audience. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Circus skills. ... Corde lisse is an aerial circus skill or act that involves acrobatics on a vertically hanging rope. ... Aerial tissu (also aerial tissue, aerial silk, aerial ballet in silk, aerial contortion or aerial curtain) is an acrobatic, aerial ballet which is performed while suspended from a piece of silk or other fabric (tissu is French for fabric). ... a handstand performed with straight legs A capoeirista performs a handstand with legs bent. ... Bossaball court Bossaball court. ... Hopak is a Ukrainian folk dance and the corresponding musical style. ... Juggling is a form of skillful, often artful, object manipulation. ... Contortionist performing Contortion (sometimes contortionism) is an unusual form of physical display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the human body. ... Pole and mast climbers from a pre-1851 engraving // Pole climbing may be defined as ascending a pole which one can grip with the hands. ... Diving refers to the sport of acrobatically jumping or falling into water. ... For other uses, see Dive. ... Salto del pastor (English: the Shepherds Leap) is a spectacular folk sport practiced throughout the Canary Islands. ... Adagio is the name given to a specific set of partner acrobalance or acrobalance movements. ... In circus performances a Spanish web involves a long, cloth covered rope with a loop attached near the top that a performer (web girl) climbs and inserts either their foot or their wrist into the loop. ... Gun (staff) event at the 10th All China Games Wushu (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally martial arts), also known as modern wushu or contemporary wushu, is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts. ... A traceur performs an arm jump (cat leap), which in french is called a saut de bras. ... Balancing Acts is a documentary by Donna Schatz that chronicles the lives of Chinese acrobat Man-Fong Tong and his wife Magda Schweitzer, a Jewish acrobat from Budapest, Hungary. ...

References

External links

• China Culture website on acrobatics.