Combining the elegance of the ballet with the drama of the theatre, Rhythmic Gymnastics bursts with glamour, blurring the boundaries between sport and art. Rhythmic gymnasts strive to enchant judges and audiences with the polish of their exercises while mastering complicated maneuvers with one of four handheld apparatus: the Hoop, the Ball, a pair of Clubs, and the Ribbon.
Rhythmic Group Gymnastics, performed by teams of five, showcases multiple apparatus at the same time. Rhythmic Groups must keep their apparatus in motion while executing dance sequences and remaining synchronised.
At least once in every routine, Rhythmic gymnasts launch their apparatus into the air, usually executing a series of rolls, rotations or leaps before catching it. The riskiest throws involve the gymnast losing sight of the apparatus, or catching it blindly.
Grand jetés add to the drama of the routine, and also help the gymnast track an apparatus flying through the air.
The best Rhythmic gymnasts spin like tops, all while keeping the apparatus in motion, drumming the Clubs on the floor or bouncing the Ball.
A requirement in every routine, they allow the gymnast to express a measure of elegance and convey a feeling to the audience.
Simple and elegant, the gymnast performing a needle scale cuts a statuesque figure. A classic pose in Rhythmic, the scale is the setting for numerous apparatus manipulations.