Rhythmic Gymnastics Birmingham

Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport where competitors manipulate 5 types of apparatus: Ball, Ribbon, Hoop, Clubs and Rope. Competition takes place individually or in teams of five. Competitors are rewarded points by a selected team of judges for leaps, balances, pivots, flexibility, apparatus handling and artistic effect.

The Code of Points has been modified three times in recent years, in 2001, 2003 and 2005, with emphasis on technical elements and to promote objectiveness in judging. Before 2001, judging was on a scale of 10 (like that of Artistic Gymnastics), it then changed to 30 in 2003, and it is now on a scale of 20. The sport is governed by FIG (Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique).

For international competitions, there are two age categories, Juniors, for girls under 16, and Seniors, for girls 16 and over. Gymnasts typically start training at a very young age and those at their peak are typically in their late teens or early twenties. The largest events in the sport are the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships and others such as the Corbeil-Essonnes Tournament.

At the moment, rhythmic gymnastics is a sport for women and girls, however, there is a movement to officially create rhythmic gymnastics for men. The Japanese's version of Men's rhythmic gymnastics includes tumbling and is performed on a spring floor. Points are awarded based on the level of difficulty of the tumbling and apparatus handling. The maximum is 10 points. Individuals compete in 4 types of apparatus: rope, stick, double rings and clubs. Groups do not use any apparatus. The first men's world championships were held in Japan in 2003 and was participated by Japan, Malaysia, Korea, Canada and United States.

History of Rhythmic Gymnastics

Rhythmic gymnastics was developed out of the 19th century Swedish system of free exercise developed by Peter Henry Ling. He promoted "aesthetic gymnastics," in which students expressed their feelings and emotions through bodily movement.

This idea was extended by Catherine E. Beecher, founder of the Western Female Institute in Ohio, USA in 1837. Beecher's gymnastics program was called grace without dancing the young women exercised to music, moving from simple callisthenics to more strenuous activities.

During the 1880s, Emil Dalcroze of Switzerland developed eurhythmics, a form of physical training for musicians and dancers. George Demeny of France created various exercises to music that were designed to promote grace of movement, muscular flexibility, and good posture. All of these styles were combined in around 1900 into the Swedish school of rhythmic gymnastics, which would later add more dance elements from Finland. Around this time, Ernest Idla of Estonia established a degree of difficulty for each movement.

As a sport, rhythmic gymnastics began in the 1940s in the former Soviet Union. It was there that for the first time, the spirit of sports was combi...