Teoria de circo

Introduction:
Acro-balance skills work much better if each partner has already had a basic grounding in individual acrobatic skills. They should understand the basic principles of acrobatics/gymnastics e.g. body tension and extension, poise, body control, good body shape and good posture. Important considerations: In weight bearing skills it is usually advisable for the base to be heavier andstronger than the top. This is not essential but the closer the pair are in weight and stature then the more limited the skills and the higher the potential for injury. It is essential for the pair to have good communication and build a physical ‘rapport’ It is essential that performers only progress in line with their physical capabilities, progressing too quickly, especially if the physicalpreparation has not been done can result in injury and lack of achievement.

Simple pair balances Balances with base lying
Knee to knee
Flyer starts with feet either side of catchers head and with catchers hands on flyers ankles Flyer leans forward to take weight on catchers knees and base lifts flyers legs

Shoulder stand
From stand, flyer places hands on catchers knees leans forwards andcatcher takes flyers shoulders as flyer lifts to shoulders stand

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Shoulder stand on feet

Sitting on hands

Shoulder stand without knee support

Standing on hands, arms bent

Standing on hands, arms straight (1)
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From bent arms, base pushes arms straight Flyer needs to lean back slightly to stay on balance

Standing on hands, arms straight (2)
• Starting with the flyerstanding on the base hands on the floor, arms bent The flyer makes a small jump and the base lifts her to straight arms

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Standing on 1 leg, both hands supporting

Standing on 1 leg, 1 hand

Standing on hands arms straight

Standing on 1 hand arms straight

Balances with base kneeling
1 foot stand facing same direction

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1 foot stand facing opposite direction

Standing onshoulders (step from bench)

Standing on shoulders

Counter-balances
The following series shows the various steps to forward and backward counter balances. These can be completed or missed out if the students need them. Counter-balance facing same direction, both standing

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Counter-balance base kneeling

Counter balance top on knees

Counter-balance, base sat on benchCounter-balance, base leaning against wall

Free counter-balance

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Counter-balance facing, base kneeling

Base on bench

Base leaning against wall

Complete counter balance, backwards

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Backward counter balance one arm

Counter balance with foot behind catchers neck

Basic balances, base standing: Standing on shoulders (2 high)

Methods of getting to shoulders
These are fourbasic methods of getting onto the catchers shoulders without flight. Basic method, mounting from side

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Mounting, foot on catchers calf from behind

Lift from hands at front

Preparation for lift to stand from front Lift to sit on hands

Half turn from floor

Angels Front angel
The catcher places hands on the flyers hips (best balance position is found through experimenting) As theflyer jumps, hold the catchers wrists for more support, the catcher lifts the flyer into support

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Back angel
Once again the catcher must find the best position of the hands for balance While the pair are trying to find this position there should always be a spotter standing behind The flyer jumps as the catcher lifts

Leg Holds Arabesque

Alternative arabesque

Standing on hands:Stepping from shoulders to hands

At this point we need to look a little closer at the points of contact between catcher and flyer. The following chapter was written as an article for the British Gymnastics technical newsletter, Gymcraft. The author was Fabrice Berthet from the Ecole National des Artes de Cirque in Chatellerault,

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Areas of Contact
By Fabrice Berthet, drawings by Isabelle...