Handstands are the cornerstone of almost every acro trick. When students master them, they build the base of technique that walkovers, aerials, handsprings and balances all depend on.
But there are two ways to teach a handstand: the gymnastics way and the acro dance way. They look different, and they’re trained differently.
The Acro Dance Handstand
In gymnastics, many skills are trained in a hollow-body position. In acro dance, the handstand is an open-body shape:
- The dancer lengthens up and 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
- The legs and toes lengthen up and over the top
That open line is what gives acro dancers their soft, lyrical look, and it sets them up for the walkovers and balances that come next in the trick family.
Watch: Handstands Deep Dive
In this video, I show you exactly what to teach and how to teach it, so you can see the difference and build students with the right technique, look and style.
Build It Into Every Class
Because so many tricks start from a handstand, it’s worth practising in every class at every level. A strong, open handstand now saves you from fixing habits later.
