Acrobatic dance is exactly a combination of its name – acrobatics and dance.
Acrobatics is used in performing arts and is a combination of flexibility, agility, balance, and bodily co-ordination and is similar to gymnastics.
A good acrobatic dance routine seamlessly mixes traditional dance skills ranging from jazz, ballet, lyrical, or even hip hop with acrobatic skills.
Within an acrobatic dance class, the focus is generally on the learning of acrobatic skills.
The dance part of the genre is usually gained through the learning of jazz or ballet in separate classes, which is then amalgamated to create an acrobatic dance routine.
Therefore Acrobatic classes are usually an add-on class to enhance a dancer’s skill set.
Main Skills In Acrobatic Dance
Some of the main skills learned in an acrobatic class are hand and elbow stands, cartwheels, walkovers, flips, and aerials. Strength and flexibility are also developed so the dancer is able to perform the skills more easily.
How Much Acrobatics Compared to Dance is Performed?
The performance of acrobatic ‘tricks’ within other dance genres when examined or in competition is a contentious issue.
Some feel that the addition of flips and other acrobatic skills to a hip hop, lyrical, or jazz routine enhances not only the entertainment value of the performance but also showcases a dancer’s multidisciplinary skills.
On the other hand, Acrobatic dance is a genre of its own and therefore some feel these skills should be limited to the acro-dance category to ensure fair and standardized judging.
This page is just one of hundreds of definitions of the many styles and genres of dance. This library is being continually added to by the writers and contributors of Dance Parent 101!
