"We Will Win With Beauty"
Our first submitted piece is an educational one and is comprised completely of quotes attributed to other brilliant people. This piece is submitted by my own self and is a jumping off point for later topics to be discussed.
-Excerpt from the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Russian Culture
Gymnastics has traditionally been one of the most popular sports in Russia. It originated at the end of the eighteenth century as part of the physical training in Russian military educational institutions. In 1881, the Russian Gymnastics Society was established in Moscow, and National Championships were introduced at the beginning of the twentieth century. Russian gymnasts achieved the greatest success in the second half of the twentieth century; the 1952 Olympic debut of the USSR team brought individual and team victories for both men and women. Soviet athletes dominated world gymnastics from the 1950's until the 1980's, winning more than 300 medals (half of them gold). These achievements would have been impossible without considerable state support and a network of specialized sports schools.
-Excerpt from Vladimir Zaglada's book, How the Fall of the Iron Curtain Changed the World of Gymnastics
There is no doubt in my mind that the success of Russian gymnastics has always been closely tied to Russia's choreographic tradition. I do not know of a single gymnastics school, even in the most remote backwater, that did not have a professional choreographer on duty. It didn't matter whether boys or girls were being trained-the choreographer was considered an indispensable member of the staff.
It is important to understand just how important dance is for gymnastics and for the basic preparation of girls in particular. When we work on elements of posture, we use, for example, handstands as a special aspect of training to strengthen the muscles of the gymnasts's shoulder girdle, the back, and the abdomen. But we also try not to forget to strengthen the lower segments of the gymnast's body, developing just as powerful a corset of muscles.
Once this has all been achieved you would think that the process is complete and and we are ready to put this well-developed musculoskeletal to the test. But this testing does not go before we realize something is missing. We have a powerful body and strong elastic muscles, but the gymnast moves like a robot, and even performing the incredible tricks, she cannot control her movements. And the femininity that is nature's gift to the "weaker" sex seems to be completely missing!
For the entirety of their gymnastics career, choreography will enrich their sense of movement and and enable them to cultivate the artistry that will give them a higher purpose to all those well developed muscles.
This blog does not belong to me but to you, Russian fans, who have various educated opinions on a range of topics, both on and off Russian gymnastics, and I'm giving you a judge-free zone to tell it. I accept and post all submissions no matter how controversial the topic; I simply ask you to allow me the power of grammatical edits to your piece and for you to write, minimum, one paragraph. All submissions are anonymous or you can assume a name of your choosing to be published along with your work. If you have an opinion, grievance, or exaltation you've been dying to get off your chest, submit your piece to sashbib@gmail.com.
-Excerpt from the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Russian Culture
Gymnastics has traditionally been one of the most popular sports in Russia. It originated at the end of the eighteenth century as part of the physical training in Russian military educational institutions. In 1881, the Russian Gymnastics Society was established in Moscow, and National Championships were introduced at the beginning of the twentieth century. Russian gymnasts achieved the greatest success in the second half of the twentieth century; the 1952 Olympic debut of the USSR team brought individual and team victories for both men and women. Soviet athletes dominated world gymnastics from the 1950's until the 1980's, winning more than 300 medals (half of them gold). These achievements would have been impossible without considerable state support and a network of specialized sports schools.
-Excerpt from Vladimir Zaglada's book, How the Fall of the Iron Curtain Changed the World of Gymnastics
There is no doubt in my mind that the success of Russian gymnastics has always been closely tied to Russia's choreographic tradition. I do not know of a single gymnastics school, even in the most remote backwater, that did not have a professional choreographer on duty. It didn't matter whether boys or girls were being trained-the choreographer was considered an indispensable member of the staff.
It is important to understand just how important dance is for gymnastics and for the basic preparation of girls in particular. When we work on elements of posture, we use, for example, handstands as a special aspect of training to strengthen the muscles of the gymnasts's shoulder girdle, the back, and the abdomen. But we also try not to forget to strengthen the lower segments of the gymnast's body, developing just as powerful a corset of muscles.
Once this has all been achieved you would think that the process is complete and and we are ready to put this well-developed musculoskeletal to the test. But this testing does not go before we realize something is missing. We have a powerful body and strong elastic muscles, but the gymnast moves like a robot, and even performing the incredible tricks, she cannot control her movements. And the femininity that is nature's gift to the "weaker" sex seems to be completely missing!
For the entirety of their gymnastics career, choreography will enrich their sense of movement and and enable them to cultivate the artistry that will give them a higher purpose to all those well developed muscles.
This blog does not belong to me but to you, Russian fans, who have various educated opinions on a range of topics, both on and off Russian gymnastics, and I'm giving you a judge-free zone to tell it. I accept and post all submissions no matter how controversial the topic; I simply ask you to allow me the power of grammatical edits to your piece and for you to write, minimum, one paragraph. All submissions are anonymous or you can assume a name of your choosing to be published along with your work. If you have an opinion, grievance, or exaltation you've been dying to get off your chest, submit your piece to sashbib@gmail.com.
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