At Championships 2007 we spent plenty of time close to the Acrobatic Gymnastics venue and were able to watch this much misunderstood sport often.
The first confusion is the name — now Acrobatic Gymnastics — not “Sport Acrobatics”, not “Acrosport”.
Whatever it’s called, this is currently my favourite acrobatic sport of them all. Check the video highlights of Worlds to see why.
Acrobatic Gymnastics is fantastic. Why is it not more developed in the USA and Canada?
SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 18, 2007—Julian Amaro of Pleasanton, Calif., and Tyler Spray of Livermore, Calif., earned their third consecutive U.S. all-around title in senior elite men’s pair, and the trio of Mariah Henninger of Walnut Creek, Calif., Ally Kidd of Livermore, Calif., and Tisa Penny of San Leandro, Calif., defended its senior elite women’s group title in acrobatic gymnastics competition at the 2007 Visa Championships in San Jose, Calif.
Amaro and Spray earned a total score of 84.440 in men’s pair. Henninger, Kidd and Penny posted a total score of 84.040 in women’s group, while Savannah Shields and Mallory Henthorn, both of Blue Springs, Mo., won women’s pair with a score of 75.810.
In mixed pair, the duo of Andre Solodar of San Jose, Calif., and Xiau-Ling Wee of Monte Sereno, Calif., earned the all-around gold medal with a score of 83.860.
… The acrobatic gymnastics all-around is a sum of three routines: balance, dynamic and combined.
Acrobatic gymnastics, previously referred to as sport acrobatics, combines the beauty of dance with the strength and agility of acrobatics. Gymnastics skills add excitement to the exercises, while intense acrobatic balances show grace, strength and flexibility. Routines are choreographed to music and consist of dance, tumbling, and partner skills. At the elite level, each pair or group performs a balance, dynamic and combined routine. Pyramids and partner holds characterize the balance routine, while synchronized tumbling and intricate flight elements define the dynamic exercise. The combined routine unites elements of balance and dynamic.
An acrobatic gymnastics pair consists of a base and a top. A women’s group is comprised of a base, middle and top partner, while a men’s group has a base, two middle partners and one top partner. Bases generally are older athletes who display strength and balance and top partners generally are younger athletes who display flexibility and agility. Middle partners often are required to show a combination of all attributes.
News: Amaro, Spray win third straight U.S. acrobatic gymnastics men’s pair title
Gymnastics Coaching.com 