Acro and gymnastics both include tumbling, flips and balances, but they are not the same thing. Gymnastics is a sport, judged on difficulty and precision. Acro dance is an art form, where tricks are woven into choreography so they look like part of the dance.
I started as a gymnast, coached gymnastics, and have spent more than 30 years teaching acro dance. I’ve seen first-hand how differently the two are trained, and why it matters for dancers.
Acro vs. Gymnastics at a Glance
| Gymnastics | Acro Dance | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | A competitive sport, scored by judges | An art form, built into choreography |
| Floor | Spring floor that adds rebound | Hard stage floor, so lift comes from the body |
| Body shape | Many skills in a hollow-body position | Open-body lines that lengthen through the trick |
| The look | Powerful, precise, stick the landing | Soft, lyrical and seamless |
| Transitions | Clear preparation before each pass | Dance into and out of tricks with minimal prep |
Gymnastics Is a Sport. Acro Dance Is an Art Form.
Think of a gymnastics floor routine: hard-hitting tumbling passes, executed with power and precision, finished by sticking the landing. Gymnasts are trained to be competitive, disciplined and meticulous, because every wobble or off-step is a deduction that can decide the result.
Acro dance is built for dancers. Its lines are softer and more lyrical, with the focus on lengthening through each trick and holding beautiful balances with interesting variations. Acro dancers learn to dance into and out of their tricks with very little obvious preparation, so even a difficult skill blends seamlessly into the choreography.
Spring Floor vs. Stage Floor
Gymnasts train on a spring floor, with springs and foam built under the carpet. It gives them extra height and a forgiving surface for repeating advanced passes day after day.
Dancers perform on a hard stage, with no rebound. That means acro dancers have to create their lift from their own bodies, and train their bodies to handle the impact of a hard floor while still making every trick look light.
Hollow Body vs. Open Body
This is one of the clearest technical differences. In gymnastics, many skills are performed in a hollow-body position: picture lying on your back in a “banana” shape, arms reaching overhead, legs lifted, chin tucked and core pulled in.
Acro is performed in an open-body position. Picture a handstand where the dancer lengthens out of the shoulders, the back is arced (a long, even curve), not arched, the eyes look just in front of the fingertips with an open neck, and the toes lengthen up and over the top.
Same Tumbling, Two Different Looks
Acro dancers do tumble. But where a gymnast might run into a round-off, back handspring and full-twisting layout, an acro dancer might perform a fouetté turn that swings straight into a cartwheel, a back handspring with a split-out, then finish in a needle and roll up to stand. Both are impressive, with two completely distinct looks.
Why Acro Training Belongs in the Dance Studio
Many gymnastics and cheer clubs offer acro classes for dancers. The intention is good, but they’re usually taught with gymnastics technique, not acro dance technique.
Over the years, I’ve watched dancers spend a year or more retraining their muscle memory after a single one-week camp. If your dancers want extra acro training, the best option is an acro camp run by your own studio and taught with acro dance technique.
Why Acro Makes Stronger Dancers
A well-built acro conditioning program creates stronger, more flexible dancers, and that strength carries into every other style they dance. A schedule that includes true acro dance classes builds safer, more versatile dancers, and more exciting, artistic choreography.
Download the Printable
Want a version to hang in your studio? Download the Acro vs. Gymnastics printable below.
