BALLET IN RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS: CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT TECHNIQUE AND INSTRUMENTATION FOR THE SPORT

Abstract

In its historical trajectory, rhythmic gymnastics (RG) has been influenced by Swedish Gymnastics, Dance  and  Theatrical  Arts,  being  today  a  sport  characterized  by  a strong artistic and aesthetic appeal. Thus, starting out as field study research, this manuscript aims to bring data, but mainly reflections about the way in which classical ballet classes have been conceived and used in the training of high-performance rhythmic gymnasts. This is field research, with qualitative and quantitative approach (quanti- quali). The sample consisted of nine participants (coaches and / or ballet instructors) who work with athletes in junior and senior categories in the São Paulo State, with indexes in national championships. A questionnaire tool was conducted in the period from May 1st to 15th, 2018, in loco. Data showed that the most used ballet methods are Royal, Vaganova, French and Cuban; that  the  structure  of  the classes  includes  the  bar  and  finalization, and that the planning of ballet classes is collaborative. The main goal of this practice is to learn and improve the implementation of the ballet movements in the RG Code of  Points  (CoP), and thus,  the  contents  are mostly the higher  valued body elements. It was concluded that there is still an accumulation of functions (coach and ballet   instructor in one person), a   strong   influence  of the CoP  in the training plan   of  classic ballet   classes, which unfortunately    reinforces    the    great    instrumentalization    of    this    practice, disregarding its    characteristics    as    an    art,    and    its creative, rhythmic, aesthetic and expressive aspects.