"A gymnast must tell a story!" Irina Chernyshkova talks about artistry and working with the audience

Russia’s Honored coach, artistic specialist Irina Chernyshkova came to the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy to work with our students ahead of the BRICS Games.

She explained in detail how the athletes' artistry is manifested.

"A gymnast must tell a story.  Music does not have an image. Everyone sees something of his or her own with music. A gymnast on the floor cannot speak. She must express a thought she is carrying through body movements. It means that she must be an actress but with an object, with body elements. She must have her idea that we as viewers may not even understand at all. But it will definitely make us think.  If the gymnast indeed prompts the reflection of the audience, it means that she is more than artistic," Irina said.

The specialist also explained how the audience can immediately identify an artistic gymnast.

"One comes in and strikes a pose, and the hall belongs to her, the hall is silent, she is an actress. And everybody wants already and has expectations from her. The other one, whatever pose she takes, if there is no idea in her head what she wants to communicate, if she does not make any breath for everyone when making the first move, she is not interesting for viewers. I would even judge artistry by silence in the hall during the performance, yes. This is because one can never deceive the audience," she said.

The coach also explained what the main goal of her work with the Academy students is.

"I am probably there so that judges don’t have questions when assessing compositions at BRICS Games, where dance steps must be clearly expressed, for gymnasts to comply with all the requirements for artistry that will be definitely taken into account by the judges. First of all, I try to make the form obvious for dance steps that are compulsory. Two dance steps, which must be performed accurately for at least eight seconds each. It means the gymnast must dance for 16 seconds, performing also, as a rule, complex skill elements with the object," the coach said.

Rhythmic gymnastics competitions as part of the BRICS Games, for which the Academy students are preparing together with Irina Chernyshkova, will start in Kazan on June 18.