Acro dance is an art form that combines the fluid movement of dance with the strength and skill of acrobatics. Dancers learn to perform each acro trick with strength, flexibility and clean technique, and then to blend those tricks seamlessly into choreography.
In other words, acro dance isn’t about the tricks on their own. If it were, we’d be training gymnasts.
Athlete and Artist
Gymnasts train to stick every landing, balance perfectly on a beam and iron out every flaw in a scored routine. Acro dancers are something different: a unique mix of athlete and artist.
Dance is about bringing thoughts, feelings and emotions to life, and acro is one more way to express them. Just as a pirouette can add meaning to a jazz routine, so can a back walkover. In acro dance, every trick is part of the story the dancer is telling.
Want the full breakdown of how the two are trained differently? Read Acro vs. Gymnastics: What’s the Difference?
What Students Learn in Acro Dance
- Strength and flexibility that support every trick and carry into every other style they dance
- Acro tricks taught through clear, safe progressions, from the basics up
- Balances and variations that show beautiful lines
- Choreography that weaves tricks into dance so they look effortless
- Partnering and group work
Watch: What Is Acro Dance?
Why It Matters for Teachers
Because acro dance is its own art form, it needs its own teaching approach. Students build tricks one step at a time, from the foundations up, so they progress safely and keep their skills for years. You can read more about that in Acro Tricks for Beginners: Why the Basics Come First.
When you know how to teach acro properly, you give your students the best of both worlds: the power of an athlete and the artistry of a dancer.
