The Aerial Acrobatics Festival represents a moment in the Italian gymnastics panorama, proudly promoted by the Italian Gymnastics Federation and inserted in the context of the Gymnastics Festival. It is open to all affiliated companies wishing to participate and stands out as a non-competitive opportunity that enhances the artistic aspect of the discipline. During this event companies have the opportunity to present their performances on a dedicated platform. The groups, made up of three to six artists, express themselves on three approved tripods, using a variety of tools including fabrics, trapeze, hoop and rope. Inclusivity is a key element, and there are no age limits for participants, ensuring the presence of anyone aged eight or older. Each company may feature multiple groups and performances may be accompanied by pre-recorded music if desired, but this is not mandatory. The use of voice, singing and theatrical gestures is permitted, but amplified musical instruments are not permitted. Furthermore, there are no strict restrictions on the choice of theme, as long as the moral ethics of the FGI are respected. The duration of performances can vary from three to six minutes. During this time, a jury made up of industry experts evaluates the originality and creativity of the performances. During the festival, outside the fair, spectators can enjoy exciting performances by artists in the various disciplines of aerial acrobatics, such as rope, fabric, hoop and fixed trapeze, thus creating a lively and engaging atmosphere for all participants in the Gymnastics Festival. For further information and registration, consult the program and regulations on the website www.federginnastica.it – Documents and circulars – Technical regulations 2024 – SF – Aerial acrobatics festival – 27-29 June 2024
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AERIAL ACROBATICS
The Gymnastics Federation included aerial acrobatics in its sports disciplines in 2019, making it accessible to the sporting world and creating technical figures professionally recognized by FGI CONI SNaQ. The origins of aerial acrobatics are lost in the mists of time, in a union that is still inseparable today, with military gymnastics first and with current artistic gymnastics, a natural evolution of the practices that trained young people in warlike activities. Historical documents and images have helped us to reconstruct this evolutionary path with great precision and the Royal Gymnastics Society of Turin is certainly the main testimony, the first sports club in Italy, rich in history and at the forefront in the evolution of sport in our village. We can confidently state that the main tools used for aerial acrobatics are derivatives of the gymnastic tools still in use today and that the elements that are created are full of similarities with the exercises that were and are proposed for these tools. The rich documentation on the history and evolution of the circus provides us with a fairly precise indication regarding the birth of current aerial acrobatic equipment, especially the best known. The trapeze, probably already used in squares by acrobats in ancient times, officially appeared in the “modern” version in 1850; the aerial circle, its direct derivation, will arrive later, as an artistic evolution. The aerial rope, a tool well known to gymnasts and soldiers of many generations, undergoes a constant evolution in materials and technical possibilities until it becomes the tool we know today. The aerial fabric deserves special mention, invented recently (1990) by the current director of the French national center of circus arts in Chalon, Gerard Fasolì and presented to the public for the first time during the “Cirque de Demain” festival in 1995 It is interesting to analyze how aerial acrobatics has been enriched with new experiences and ideas, becoming over time a territory for experimentation and the creation of different tools and increasingly complex exercises which have made it a discipline full of possibilities and known today. and practiced all over the world.
