Perhaps the most fascinating and artistic branches of the sport is rhythmic gymnastics. Rhythmic is for women only, and it is performed on a 130 ft. square carpeted floor area with small hand apparatus. At major tournaments, two floor areas are provided-one with a carpet and one without. If you opt for this exciting branch of gymnastics, you will find yourself working with a rope, a hoop, a ball, clubs, and a ribbon. What is more, if you are musically inclined, you will have the added attraction of working all exercises to music. Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport within its own right and has nothing to do with acrobatic gymnastics or artistic gymnastics.
Rhythmic has its own World Championships, World Cup, European Championship, and four continents championships. For the first time, rhythmic gymnastics became an Olympic sport entirely independent of other branches at the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles. In rhythmic s gymnastics the rope is made of hemp or any synthetic fiber, its length is about 9 ft. but it will vary according to your height. The rope has no handles. Skills with the rope include skipping with many variations, throws that include projecting the whole rope high into the air and catching it on return, and also balance and swing in all directions.
Movements in rhythmic gymnastics are very graceful and require suppleness, coordination, control, and poise. Leaps and jumps, turns, steps, balance, bends, and waves are linked together and choreographed to music to make up routines of between sixty and ninety seconds duration. Acrobatic elements performed in artistic gymnastics and sports acrobatics are not permitted in rhythmic. Work with hand apparatus calls for coordination of the body and continuity to make the apparatus seem to be a part of the body movements, and apart from the exercises, which basically looks like dance choreography without apparatus. Both the individuals and groups perform this routine.
The hoop can be made of plastic or wood with an Internet diameter of about 30 to 35 in. for seniors. It can be smaller for juniors. This apparatus may be round or flat edged and painted or taped any color but bronze, silver, or gold. Hoop work consists of swinging the apparatus in various ways, turning it, throwing and catching it, rolling and rotating it, and passing one's body through it. The Satin ribbon is approximately 1 1/2 in. in width and 20 ft. in length for seniors. It is attached to a stick, which can be made of wood, bamboo, or other suitable material such as fiberglass. Length of the stick is about 20 to 24 in. with a maximum diameter of 39 in.
Skills include swings, circles, snaking, spirals, figure of eights, and throws. The fourth piece of hand apparatus involves two woods of plastic clubs about 15 to 20 in. in length with a minimum weight of 5.2 oz. per club. Skills include swings circles, twirls, throws, and catches. In rhythmic gymnastics girls also use ball with remarkable flexibility to great effect in different positions.
Tags: