In ancient China , Egypt, and Minoan civilisation, acrobats were greatly admired. In ancient Rome, tightrope walkers were honoured. During the Middle Ages at fairs, tumblers performed somersaults, back flips, and other tricks for entertaining large groups.
Almost any activity involving full-body movement that propels an individual through air and space may be considered acrobatics. Acrobatics is a specialized activity in the form of tumbling and other movements such as flips, somersaults, headstands and handstands that are incorporated into gymnastics, diving, and dance. The word "acrobatics" can also refer to "acrobatic gymnastics," or "sport acrobatics," a professional gymnastics category which is a competitive sport of its own.
Acrobatic traditions can be found all over the world and throughout history, in many cultures. Minoan art from around 2000 B.C.E. in the West contains portrayals of acrobatic feats on the back of bull drawings. European Middle Age court festivities would often involve acrobatic performances along with song, juggling, and drama.
The invention of the flying trapeze (1859) and the exploits of Blondin and Farini, who walked through the Niagara Gorge on tightropes in 1859 and 1860, literally took acrobatics to new heights. In addition, acrobatics got a new venue with traveling circuses and Vaudeville 's modern dance halls.
Since the time of the Western Han Dynasty ( 206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.) in China, acrobatics have been part of their culture, featuring artifacts such as brick paintings, murals and pottery figurines featuring headstands, handstands and somersaults. Acrobatics were an important part of the festivals of village harvest.
Acrobatics Education
Acrobatic abilities and expertise have historically been retained within a family, and passed from parents to children. This is still true , especially among circus groups within the family. Nevertheless, most acrobats are still being trained by larger-scale education programs, since circuses are now comprised of far more professionals than before. Many acrobatic-art schools have been a constant source of new talents. Some of these schools are operated independently, and some are themselves supported and affiliated to the circuses.
Safety of Acrobatics
Starting with the more elementary moves is necessary when learning acrobatics to secure a foundation for solid skills and strength training. Will transfer needs preparation, and students can prepare for safe recovery, using spotters and collaborators to correct and provide input. Properly plannable movements are:
- Safe falls — learn to land with knees slightly bent on the balls of your feet.
- Boost the touch region instead of slipping on a hand or elbow.
- Learn to roll forward and roll backward as recovery tool.
Attitude is particularly important because it operates in tandem with partners and as part of a team when performing challenging moves. Warm-ups, while the acrobatics are particularly important for an important part of any physical fitness routine. One should start with calisthenics and a full set of stretching exercises at all times. It is advisable to familiarize oneself first with the basic positions, such as straight or extended hand stand, pike, straddle and tuck. Other positions include: division, stag, scale and frontal equilibrium. The sequence of skills in their difficulty order should be learnt. In acrobatics, confidence is built along with mastery, as in any demanding sport.