What’s The Difference Between Acrobatics & Gymnastics?
Here at Dansations, we offer a multitude of different classes for different levels of dancers. Part of being a great dancer is starting early, but it’s never too late to start! We work with kids from age 18 months all the way up to 18 years, and many of our dancers have gone on to do great things in the world of dance. Our studio is truly a community, and we love helping kids express themselves and give them something to work at, enjoy, and get better at. This blog serves as a tool to help WNY families to understand the values of dance, acro, tumbling, and being a part of a team.
Today, we want to talk about some of the differences between gymnastics and acrobatics, or acro dance for short, and why your kid might want to consider starting with acro dance!
Sport Vs Art
One of the main differences that you can consider between gymnastics and acro is that gymnastics might be considered more of a sport, whereas acro dance would be considered more of an art form. Gymnastics is more about power and tumbling passes, whereas acro is more expressive and about fluidity and agility. Acro is about testing the center of gravity and making it flow with emotion, whereas gymnastics is about power skills and less about expression or the movement to the music.
Training Differences
If your kid is considering gymnastics, understand that it will be much more intense training than dance. Not all gymnastics gyms in WNY are going to push your kid to the limit, but some certainly will. Dance classes are a little less intense and involve a softer approach, though it can certainly still get competitive! There are benefits to both! Dance, gymnastics, acro, and even cheerleading have a lot of training crossover, and trying everything is always recommended!
Training for acro is going to be in a dance studio or on a stage, typically working on developing strength, flexibility, and agility, with a focus on lyrical music and graceful, elegant aesthetics. Acro dance will use mats or just the regular stage floor for training. Acro dancers will train to make movements look safe and effortless.
Training for gymnastics is going to be much more focused on powerful, hard-hitting moves and a focus on executing specific skills and moves with extreme precision. Gymnastics will feature a spring floor that allows for rebounding action while executing skills. Gymnastics will aim to use proper technique with their bodies to execute passes on the floor and beam with graceful power.
The Routine
Much like other forms of dance, acro dance will simply demonstrate its routines on a stage, just the dancer and the stage. Gymnastics, on the other hand, utilizes equipment like bars, beams, and even rings. Judges in acro dance will be focusing more on technique, musicality, choreography, presentation, and overall expression. It is about the ability to express the emotion, interpret the music, and create a performance. This is slightly different than gymnastics, which will be more of a focus on judging difficulty, execution of technical moves, and adherence to rules regarding movements. There are deductions for errors, which is why precision and difficulty are so paramount to gymnastics.
Not sure where to start with your kid?
We recommend trying out one of our acro classes to see how your little one responds. We work with kids of all ages, so experience is certainly not necessary, but we will work with anyone who’s willing to try! Acro can be a great prerequisite for a future in gymnastics, as kids’ bodies develop and become more powerful. If you are thinking about getting a kid started early, acro may be your best bet, even if you think they will want to do gymnastics in the future. Give us a call or reach out via our contact form for more information on how you can get your kid into dance with Dansations!