When you go to the circus, you will expect to see at least some acrobats. There are different types of acrobatic directions. What makes acrobats acrobats is that they use only their body to create shapes and acts for the audience. Because you don’t necessarily need any object or equipment apart from someone else, and sometimes not even that. Since the existence of human bodies, we have been able to perform acrobatic stunts. So the real question is not when was acrobatics invented, but at what point something is acrobatic and has it changed at all? As explained in the interview, people have been doing acrobatic stunts since the beginning of time, therefore it is more interesting at the more recent development.

Early acrobatic troupes were simple people who included everyday objects in their performances which mostly took place at big events like festivals or religious days. This was so that they had an audience. Overall, the performances were accompanied with music as it is common today. Once again the early stages of modern acrobatics can be traced back to China and Ancient Rome, however there were many places with evidence of acrobatics like Mexico, Etruscan and Egypt.

Both China and Ancient Rome had acrobatic performances like we do today that influenced acrobatics and also other forms of it.

China, Beijing opera, emperors. Acrobatics were already performed in China when the form of opera’s which often are also acrobatic performances in a sense depending on the type of opera. The Beijing opera for example uses dance and also acrobatic skills in their performance, but only has a tradition of of about 160 years. When looking at Ancient Rome, the acrobats mainly had the chance to perform at the circus. The circus was of course very different to the one we know today. At the circus there would be gladiators and exhibitions of wild animals to entertain the folk. Apart from what was in the centre of attention, performers of other arts also used the opportunity to perform, hence acrobats were present.

The troupes that formed all over the world needed skill, routine and knowledge of their art form and how to entertain the audience. This resulted in the troupes mainly keeping to themselves because they did not want many others joining, they didn’t have the need for it, nor did the new acrobats have the skill. Therefore, it tuned into something like a family tradition. Skills and knowledge was passed down from generation to generation, creating a family business. This is still found today in some circuses or acrobatic groups.

As people have always been climbing on top of each other to perform stunts and also for fun, the development of the actual art has bot been that big apart from the fact that it has gotten to a higher level and is now officially a competitive sport. In the early 20th century there was a new form of acrobatic created, which is now also very different from it and better known as aerial arts. Aerial acts also found many followers and a place in the circus. Examples of aerial arts include:

• Trapeze
• Rope
• Tissue
• Aerial ring

Recently there has been a lot more popularity in acrobatics. Many different forms have developed or made new again. One of the these examples is contortion. It is an art form in which the performers bend their bodies weirdly. It  can be performed in groups or solo and is very common in Mongolia.

Another type of acrobatics that has been in the social media recently are big human pyramids. This also is a exists in competition form. It is one of the most dangerous acrobatics since, if one person falls, all the rest will also fall on top of each other on onto the ones at the bottom. It is very popular in India.

Bibliography:

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/beijing_opera/

http://yuni.deviantart.com/journal/History-of-Contortion-611109596

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/circus-arts/contortionist.htm

http://www.fig-gymnastics.com/site/?id=456

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrobatics

http://www.aerialists.org/history-aerialism-acrobats-cirque-performance/

Interview with acrobat: