What are acrobats

Acrobats are men and women who turn handsprings and somersaults, throw each other around, jump, and do other tricks requiring strength and skill. They perform in circuses, on the stage, and on television shows. Years of prac­tice and good teamwork are needed to make a fine acrobat. The tricks done by acrobats are called acrobatics. The chief kinds of acrobat are: Tumblers and leapers. They turn handsprings and somersaults (but all acrobats can do that very well). The tumblers and leapers also train them­selves to jump in the air, turn one or more somersaults in midair, and land either on their feet or on their backs. It would seem that when they land on their backs they would be hurt, but they are not because they land at ex­actly the right point and are rolling as they do so, so that no part of the body hits the floor or the ground too hard. Balancers.

These are the acrobats who build themselves into formations with perhaps one of them (called the "understander") standing on the stage; Acrobats have been popular in circuses for years, and are often seen on television. American Hroadcastiny Company two more acrobats standing on his- shoulders; and maybe three more acro­bats standing on their shoulders. It might seem that men must be very strong to do this, especially the one who holds up all the others, but this kind of acrobatics can be done without great strength. Of course, all acrobats are strong, but skill and training mean much more.

Trampoline jumpers. A trampo­line is a sheet of heavy cloth, usually canvas, fastened to a wooden frame by dozens of short, very strong elastic cords. When an acrobat jumps on it, he bounces back, high into the air. Some of the funniest of all acrobatic acts are done by trampoline jumpers, who can make themselves bounce into the air in all kinds of funny positions—on their backs, with their arms and legs stuck out in crazy directions, and in other funny postures. Though a trampoline jumper may sometimes make himself seem clumsy, he really is a very skillful performer who always intends to do exactly what he is doing. Other acrobats are called aerialists, including the trapeze artists who work high in the air; tightrope walkers who walk on wires, or ride bicycles across them, or do other tricks of balancing; and various acrobats who do their tricks on horses, highstands, or even in the water. These are usually not called acrobats, and more can be read about them in the article circus. There have been acrobats since the very earliest times, thousands of years ago.

A great deal of science goes into their training. This science was improved through the centuries until it reached its peak during the last century. There were many circuses then, in Europe and America, and the vaudeville show, a show made up of several different acts, was especially popular in the United States. When the movies came along, about fifty years ago, both circuses and vaudeville shows became less popular.