History of Rhythmic Gymnastics
BETWEEN ART AND SPORT

This graceful form of gymnastics began at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries as a means of movement expression. It is based on the ideas of I.G. Noverre (1722-1810), F. Delsarte (1811-1871) and R. Bode (1881) to make use of movements borrowed from dance in the process of exercising different parts of the human body, thus developing aesthetic expressiveness and gracefulness.

A new discipline? Not quite. Recent findings prove that it was practised as early as Ancient Egypt!

The Swiss Emile-Jacques Dalcroze further developed the idea and added to Rhythmic Gymnastics the development of musicality and rhythm. Rudolf von Laban, Marie Wigmann and Henrich Medau are other important names to mention as pioneers in the creation of Rhythmic Gymnastics at the beginning of the 1920's.

But above all, it was the famous American dancer Isadora Duncan, whose rebellion against the dogmas of the classical ballet changed the direction ininto which both the art and the sport of Rhythmic Gymnastics developed.

As a competitive discipline, Rhythmic Gymnastics started in the former Soviet Union, where National Championships have been held since 1942. The FIG recognized the new discipline in 1961. The first World Individual Championships took place in 1963 in Budapest (HUN), in whichwhere 28 gymnasts from 10 European countries took part. The Russian Ludmila Savinkova wasis the first World Champion. The first World Championships for Group Exercises were held in 1967 in Copenhagen (DEN) and the first European Championships took place in Madrid (ESP) in 1978.

We must keep in mind that group exercises with small hand apparatus were included in the Artistic Gymnasticsgymnastics programme of the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, where six gymnasts performed their routines with ropes (some decorated with flowers). The use of hand-held apparatus would eventually fade from Artistic, appearing progressively in Rhythmic Gymnastics.

The first Olympic Games to feature Rhythmic Gymnastics as a discipline of its own were in 1984 in Los Angeles (, USA).. Only individuals were allowed to participate, and the top Eastern block nations boycotted the Games. With the exception of Romania, every Eastern European country was absent. The first ever-Olympic title went to Lori Fung from Vancouver (CAN).

In 1996 in Atlanta, the first groupGroup routines were contested and Spain won the title followed by Bulgaria and Russia.

Up until the 1980's, Bulgaria and the Soviet Union were the dominating nations. Since the dismantling of the Soviet Union, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Bulgaria have predominated, with Spain, Italy, Greece and Brazil as their rivals. We can observe in group competitions the rivalry that still exists today between dance schools. The Kiev school of dance and that of Moscow vie with Bulgarian and Spanish charm, while Brazil increasingly invests in its choreography.

Although gymnasts are in the limelight, the role played by choreographers is crucial. An exercise is an action, a kind of drama, that takes place in a defined space and time, and during which the gymnast/choreographer team tells a story.

Rhythmic Gymnastics is becoming more and more popular on all five continents around the world. As per 2005, more than 2000 gymnasts are involved in competing at the highest level (World Championships, World Cup events etc).

copied from fig website

Gathering with South Africa and Taiwan Gymnasts

Coaches, Judges & Mummys

Everybody :)

Gymnasts only!!!

We had a small party with the South African and Taiwanese gymnasts on the 2nd of August last month. After training in SRA club for about a month, we had a friendly competition with them. Everybody had fun and I am glad they came to Malaysia. It was a really memorable experience. I surely miss them!!! Hope to see them in the Angel Cup......

Check Out This Website

Serdang Rhythmic Angels had just created a website for this upcoming 3rd edition of the Angel Cup.

Check out http://www.angelcupmas.com/ !

Two more months to Angel Cup 2008. I just can't wait!!