Parent Guide

Types of Gymnastics: Artistic, Rhythmic, and More

“Gymnastics” is not one sport — it is a family of disciplines. Here is the landscape in plain terms, and a closer look at the one we teach.

The Landscape

Common gymnastics disciplines

When most parents search for gymnastics, they picture the artistic events they have seen on TV. These are the main forms your child could pursue.

Rhythmic Art teaches rhythmic gymnastics. The other disciplines are illustrated here so families can recognize how the sports differ.

Artistic gymnast extending through a leap above a balance beam in an indoor gymnastics venue — Artistic gymnastics • Balance beam

Artistic Gymnastics

The one most parents picture — vault, bars, beam, and floor. It is the most televised form and what most "gymnastics" classes teach. Power and acrobatics are the core.

Rhythmic gymnast performing a split leap while guiding a ribbon across the competition floor — Rhythmic gymnastics • Ribbon performance

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Performed to music with hand apparatus — rope, hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon. It blends ballet, dance, and athletics into choreographed routines. This is what we teach.

Trampoline gymnast in a tucked somersault above the center of a full-size trampoline — Trampoline gymnastics • Controlled flight

Trampoline Gymnastics

Competitive bouncing — high flight, somersaults, and twists performed on trampoline, double mini, and tumbling tracks.

Three acrobatic gymnasts holding a supported group balance on a sprung floor — Acrobatic gymnastics • Group balance

Acrobatic Gymnastics

Partner and group work. Gymnasts lift, balance, and throw each other in choreographed routines — the human-pyramid discipline.

Three aerobic gymnasts performing synchronized high-knee steps and sharp arm movements on a competition floor — Aerobic gymnastics • Synchronized movement

Aerobic Gymnastics

High-energy routines built on continuous, high-intensity movement patterns — strength and stamina set to music.

Gymnast performing a straight-body backward flip above a long sprung tumbling track — Power tumbling • Track pass

Power Tumbling

A straight run of explosive acrobatic skills down a sprung track — flips and twists chained at speed.

A Closer Look

What Makes Rhythmic Gymnastics Different

Rhythmic gymnastics made its Olympic debut in 1984. Competitive routines combine music, body skills, and apparatus, with difficulty and artistry both part of the sport.

A Rhythmic Art coach and athlete shown on the event screen after a rhythmic gymnastics performance

The Five Apparatus

Rope

Jumps, skips, and catches — usually the first apparatus young gymnasts meet.

Hoop

Rolls, rotations, and throws through and around the body.

Ball

Balanced, rolled, and thrown — never gripped. It teaches soft, precise hands.

Clubs

A pair of clubs swung and thrown in coordinated patterns — the two-handed challenge.

Ribbon

A long ribbon kept in motion through spirals, snakes, circles, and throws.

Where artistic gymnastics is built on power, rhythmic gymnastics is built on flexibility, coordination, and expression. A rhythmic gymnast is part athlete, part dancer: ballet training is a standard part of the sport, and routines are choreographed performances, not just sequences of skills.

Families often choose it for children who enjoy music, dance, detailed movement, and apparatus. A trial class shows whether the athlete enjoys this specific training style.

Curious how children actually progress in this sport? Read how the competitive levels work or see what age is right to start.

See It in Person

The fastest way to understand rhythmic gymnastics is to watch your child try a class at our training center in Dania Beach.

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