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Acro dance is a style ofdance that combinesclassical dance technique withacrobatic elements. It is defined by its athletic character, its uniquechoreography, which blends dance and acrobatics, and its use of acrobatics in a dance context.[1] It is a popular dance style in amateurcompetitive dance as well as in professional dance theater and incontemporary circus productions such as those byCirque du Soleil. This is in contrast toacrobatic,artistic andrhythmic gymnastics, which are sports that employ dance elements in a gymnastics context under the auspices of a governing gymnastics organization (such asFIG) and subject to aCode of Points. Acro dance is known by various other names includingacrobatic dance andgymnastic dance, though it is most commonly referred to simply asacro by dancers and dance professionals.
Acro is an especially challengingdance style for dancers as it requires them to be trained in both dance and acrobatic skills.
Acrobatic dance emerged in theUnited States andCanada in the early 1900s, as one of the types of acts performed invaudeville. Although individual dance and acrobatic acts had been performed in vaudeville for several decades prior to 1900, it was not until the early 1900s that it became popular to perform acts that combined dance and acrobatic movements.[2]
Acrobatic dance did not suddenly appear in vaudeville; rather, it appeared gradually over time in a variety of forms, and consequently no individual performer has been cited as its originator. Sherman Coates (1872–1912),[3] who performed with the Watermelon Trust from 1900 to 1914, was recalled by fellow dancers as the first acrobatic dancer they had ever seen.[4] Another of the earliest documented acrobatic dance performers was Tommy Woods, who became well known for his slow-motion acrobatic dance inShuffle Along, in which he would execute acrobatic movements precisely in time with the music.[5] In 1914, acrobat Lulu Coates formed the Crackerjacks, a popular vaudeville troupe that included acrobatic dance in their performance repertoire up until the group disbanded in 1952.[6] Many other popular vaudeville companies combined acrobatics and dance in their shows, including the Gaines Brothers, and Miriam (The acrobatic Tapper) who performed with the Wells & The Four Fays "Tumbling Acrobats" on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964,
Since the decline of the vaudeville era, acrobatic dance has undergone a multi-faceted evolution to arrive at its present-day form. The most significant aspect of this evolution is the integration ofballet technique as the foundation for dance movements, thus bringing into acro dance a precision of form and movement that was absent in vaudeville acrobatic dance. Also, vaudeville acrobatic dances were often little more than acrobatics set to music, whereas modern acro dance is fundamentally dance, with its acrobatic movements performed in a dance context.
A defining characteristic of acro is the smooth, graceful transitions between dance and acrobatic movements. Also, a dance must have a significant percentage of dance movement, with respect to its acrobatic content, in order for it to be categorized as acro. For example, a gymnasticsfloor exercise is not considered to be Acro Dance because it has little or no technical dance movement, compared to its acrobatic content. It also lacks smooth transitions between dance and gymnastic movements. Also, Acro Dance does not employ supporting apparatus such as those used in acrobatic gymnastics.[7]
The dance movements in Acro Dance are founded inballet,jazz,lyrical, contemporary andmodern dance styles. Acro dance movements are not restricted to these dance styles, but the complete absence of these styles will typically cause a dance to be categorized as something other than acro (e.g.,breakdance).[citation needed]
The acrobatic movements and acts of balance (inspired by tumbling or gymnastic) performed in an acro dance are referred to astricks. A variety of tricks are commonly performed in acro dance, varying widely in complexity and the skills required to perform them. Aside from the obvious requirement that dancers possess the requisite skills to perform tricks, the types of tricks that can be performed in an acro dance depends on the number of dancers.Solo tricks can be performed by independent dancers insolo or group dances. Examples of this are:[8]
Individual Acro Dance Tricks :
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"Strength, flexibility and balance are also major pillars of Acro Dance, and postures often inspired by those of contortion are used throughout Acro Dance along side agility (tricks) and dance technique." - says BethanyRose Boutwell (Salt Lake City's Acrobatic Dance Teacher since 2012)
An Example of strength needed could be for example: a press up handstand.
| Flexibility Postures in Individual Acro Dance: | |
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Double tricks—also known aspartnering tricks—Is inspired by partner dance(ballroom and Latin styles), circus acrobatics (adagio) and can only be performed by a pair of dancers. An example of this is thepitch tuck, in which one dancer forms a "saddle" with his hands. The second dancer steps onto the saddle and then the first dancer thrusts the saddle upward. The second dancer, who is propelled upward with back rotation, lands on her feet after a complete revolution in the air. Acro partners will sometimes execute lifts andadagio in addition to single and double tricks.
Partner Acro Dance Tricks :
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Group tricks generally require three or more dancers, but again moving in transitions is important to make it Acro Dance. Examples of these group tricks are:
Acro dances are typically performed on hard stages with widely varying surfaces. Such floors differ substantially from agymnastics floor, which is constructed by layering a standard surface over cushioning foam and spring floor. Whereas gymnasts performbarefoot and rely on the standard gymnastics floor for traction and cushioning, acro dancers seldom dance barefoot, instead depending on footwear such as acro shoes or foot thongs to provide the necessary traction and cushioning.
All of the most common types of acro footwear provide both traction and cushioning. In addition, acro performance surfaces are frequently rough, so acro footwear must protect the bottom of the foot from skin abrasion.Abrasion protection is particularly important on the ball of the foot, which is subjected to a great deal offriction duringdance turns and leaps.Traction is essential to prevent lateral slipping that could result in dangerous falls to the hard floor.Cushioning serves to soften the impact when performing tricks such as tucks and layouts, in which a dancer's feet may strike the floor at highvelocity. Cushioning is especially important when aMarley floor is unavailable, because uncovered performance surfaces have no cushioning whatsoever and thus may be extremely hard and unyielding.
Acro dancers most often wearjazz dance shoes, which are commonly referred to asacro shoes by acro dancers. Acro shoes are calledjazz boots,jazz ankle boots,jazz booties and other names, by their various manufacturers. They are typically laceless, slip-on shoes, with tight-fitting leather uppers that are designed to prevent the dancer's feet from shifting inside the shoes. Because of their thin, pliable leather uppers and split soles, acro shoes have excellent flexibility, thus enabling dancers to attain both good dance form and acrobatic control. The sole is made of soft, composite rubber so as to provide both high traction and cushioning, and it provides excellent protection from skin abrasion as it covers the entire bottom of the foot.
Less commonly, acro dancers may wearfoot thongs, which are variously calledDance Paws andFootUndeez, depending on the manufacturer. Foot thongs—which are slip-on, partial foot covers that protect only the ball of the foot—are sometimes preferred over acro shoes for aesthetic reasons. In particular, flesh colored foot thongs endow the wearer with the appearance of having bare feet, while retaining some degree of the traction, cushioning, and abrasion protection provided by acro shoes.
Acro dancers commonly wear flexible, form-fitting clothing for bothsafety andaesthetic reasons. Form-fitting clothing is preferred over loose clothing because the latter does not movesynchronously with the body and thus may interfere with a dancer's ability to maintain control. This is especially important when a dancer is performing tricks, as loss of control can lead to serious injury. Aside from the safety aspect, form-fitting clothing also helps to expose a dancer's body lines, which can add significantly to the visual impact of an acro dance performance.
Competitive acro dancers frequently wearcostumes when performing at dance competitions. Acro costumes often have loosefabric pieces such as shortskirts, but the sizes and locations of these pieces are carefully calculated to ensure that they pose no safety risks. As an extra safety measure, skirts are sometimes pinned or stitched at the back below the waistline so that they will not hang at full length when the dancer is inverted, as inhand walking; this prevents the skirt—which might otherwise become entangled in the dancer's hair or costumeheadpiece—from contacting the dancer's head.
Acro dance is not uniformly defined within thecompetitive dance industry.[1] Some dance competition companies require an acro routine to have a minimum of four or five tricks with at most fifty percent acrobatic content. Other companies require an acro routine to have exactly, or more than, fifty percent acrobatic content. Also, at some competitions an acro dance may fit into an explicitly defined "acro dance" performance category, while at others it may fall into a similar category such as "acro/gym," or an alternative category such as "open." Because of these differences, it may be necessary to enter a specific acro routine into different performance categories at different competitions.
