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At first, rhythmic gymnastics developed as an individual sport, but later a new format group exercises came about.

Interesting facts: when did different types of group exercises come about?

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Combined elements are body difficulties that consist of two or three elements performed in a coherent manner. In the program, they are counted as one unit of difficulty. Their "formulas" can be very different: jumps, balances and turns can be combined with each other.

Interesting facts: how did combined elements come about and what is unique about them?

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The Italian fouette is the balance where three half-toed forms are used as a minimum.

The Italian fouette: how to make the balance with the turn?

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Group exercise competitions were not immediately included in the Summer Olympic Games program.

Interesting facts: when did group exercises become part of the Olympic Games program?

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On the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy website, you can now find out interesting facts about rhythmic gymnastics.

Interesting facts: which object appeared in rhythmic gymnastics first

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The fouetté twist came into rhythmic gymnastics from ballet.

A turn, a plié and whipping leg motion: what is a fouetté?

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The touching jump (according to the rules - "tapping") is one of the basic elements in rhythmic gymnastics.

"Tamping": what jump do young gymnasts start with?

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A risk is a combination of a high throw, two or more spins underneath, and a catch. There must be at least one risk in a gymnastic exercise.

A high toss, a spins under it and a catch: what is a risk

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Flying with a split — this is how the split leap can be described. This is one of main leaps in rhythmic gymnastics.

Flying with a split. What is the split leap?

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The main characteristics of a gymnastic floor are softness of the coating, elasticity, resilience, reliability and ability to resist wear and tear.

Rhythmic gymnastics floor. How is it different from the usual one?

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The world of rhythmic gymnastics is unique, it harmoniously combines different concepts like sports and art, athletic ability and grace, element execution precision with the freedom of movement. Where else in sports would an element be called a compass, or a helicopter or a sunshine cartwheel, in different languages while meaning the same thing?

Helicopter walkover or a sunshine cartwheel: What kind of element is that?

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Rhythmic gymnastics is one of the youngest sports in the Olympic program. In a short time, it has gone from basic gymnastic and dance exercises to the most complex programs that require incredible preparation, coordination and mastery of elements from the gymnasts.

Rhythmic gymnastics history: from antiquity to the present

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To stretch into a string,  fold into one with your leg - that is exactly what you need to do in order to perform a standing split.

Show the splits and become a string: what is a standing split?

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A low ring position is one of the most difficult positions to balance. In order to do it cleanly, it is necessary to be well-stretched and have strong back muscles.

Low ring position and Sakura Rotation

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The ribbon came to rhythmic gymnastics from artistic dance. At the beginning of the last century, ballerinas sometimes took to the stage with long scarves and shawls made of light fabrics. For example, Isadora Duncan, the founder of free dance, performed with a scarf.

From dancing to sports - the history of the ribbon in rhythmic gymnastics

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Clubs are one of the five items used in modern rhythmic gymnastics.

Clubs: where they came from and how they changed

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Out of all the objects to come to rhythmic gymnastics, the hoop was the last.

How the hoop came to gymnastics and how it changed

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The jump rope is one of the first objects that athletes started to use in rhythmic gymnastics. It’s considered that it crossed over to the sport from children's games and dances.

Jump rope in rhythmic gymnastics - how it came about and how it changed

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The leotard, along with makeup and hair, helps the gymnasts to better convey the intended image. At the Alina festival and at the Sky Grace tournament, you can generally see a variety of original leotards, which help put together the director’s idea.

The history of a leotard - from a simple leotard to an outfit that weighs 2 kilos

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Rhythmic gymnastics and ballet are inextricably linked. Sports have taken in a great deal from art, for example the Jeté en Tournant jump. And generally speaking, in ballet, it is mostly performed by men.

Jeté en Tournant - men's jump in rhythmic gymnastics?

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A front scale rotation. In the gymnastics Code of Points, the element is called a penché (a French term meaning “leaning”), but unofficially gymnasts call it a screwdriver rotation, because visually it resembles the movement of the tool.

Penché rotation (screwdriver): Kramarenko’s signature element

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Often competition regulations say that athletes will compete in a circular format. This refers to the sequence of rotations in which a gymnast performs with different apparatus.

What does it mean to perform in a circular format?

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Bouncy, rolling and tricky. All of these describe the ball – one of the five apparatus in rhythmic gymnastics.