Our students have a blast being upside down and learning new skills!
COVID-19 UPDATE AND ACROBATICS CLASSES: Like all Twirl dance classes, our acrobatic classes will have both a virtual and in-person option. In accordance with CDC and PA Dept. of Health guidelines, in-person acrobatic students will be socially distanced by at least 6 feet in their own designated square of mat space. If a common wedge mat is used for skills, it will be sanitized between student uses. All students, including students who are taking acrobatics virtually from home, will work on a progression of skills according to the Acro Dance Teachers Association syllabus. A mat is not needed for in-home virtual acrobatic classes, but a space large enough to do a cartwheel is recommended. A blank wall or door is also a bonus, but not necessary, for practicing handstands during virtual home-based acrobatics classes. For frequently asked questions about Twirl’s 2020-21 season policies and protocols please click here.
What is the difference between Acrobatics and Gymnastics?
- Acrobatics only focuses on skills that happen on the floor. There are no bars, balance beam, vault or other apparatus.
- All acro and gymnastics students have a dominant leg or side that is most comfortable to them. Because acrobatic skills are meant to be practical to dance choreography, students work on skills leading with both their right and left leg. This creates versatile acrobats/dancers who are to be able to adapt to different needs and expectations in choreography. Gymnasts only work their dominant side!
- While we train our students on mats, the ultimate goal is to be able to perform acro skills on a stage without a mat. Very rarely do you see a dancer performing an acrobatic trick on a mat on a Broadway stage! This means that the approach to teaching acro skills is from the point of view that skills may be performed on a hard stage. Gymnastics training is anchored in the fact that skills will always be executed on a mat, sprung floor, or other soft surface.
- Acrobatics is an athletic art form, while gymnastics is a sport that includes artistry.
2020-21 ACROBATICS CLASS TIMES
(Classes run from September 10, 2020 to June 9, 2021. Enrollment will remain open through January 2021.)
Mondays 5:30-6:30pm Acrobatics I (ages 7+)
Thursdays 4:30-5:30pm Acrobatics I (ages 5-7)
Thursdays 6:30-7:30pm Acrobatics I (ages 8+)
Thursdays 7:30-8:30pm Acrobatics II* (ages 7+)
Saturdays 11:00am-12:00pm Acrobatics II* (ages 7+)
*A solid and consistent back walkover is a prerequisite for Acrobatics II.
ACROBATICS DRESS CODE
- Girls- Black dancewear (leotards with black, tan, or pink CONVERTIBLE or FOOTLESS tights or dance shorts; jazz pants; leggings; and tank tops) with bare feet.
- Boys- Black dancewear (T-shirts, tank tops, athletic shorts, jazz pants, or sweat pants) with bare feet.
