Adagio (circus skill)
Encyclopedia
Adagio is the performance of partner acrobalance
poses and associated movements that involve stationary balances by a pair of performers. It is performed in professional circus
, in various dance disciplines including acro dance
and ballet
, in pair skating
, and as a hobby in university circus groups.
An adagio pair consists of one person acting as a flier and another as a base. The base remains in contact with the floor and the flier is balanced in the air. The base may move between a variety of positions including lying on the floor, crouching, standing and kneeling. The flier may be balanced on the base's feet, hands, shoulders, knees, thighs, back or combinations of these, in a variety of positions and orientations including horizontal, vertical or even upside down. In general, it is easier for the flier to be lighter and the base heavier and stronger, though this is not a requirement as equal partner weights or even an imbalance of weights in the other direction can be leveraged.
Acrobalance
Acrobalance is an acrobatic art that combines elements of two other arts: adagio and hand balancing.Adagio consists of partner lifts, usually performed by a man and a woman, where the male lifts his female partner in many different poses and positions...
poses and associated movements that involve stationary balances by a pair of performers. It is performed in professional circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
, in various dance disciplines including acro dance
Acro dance
Acro dance is a style of dance that combines classical dance technique with precision acrobatic elements. It is defined by its athletic character, its unique choreography, which seamlessly blends dance and acrobatics, and its use of acrobatics in a dance context...
and ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, in pair skating
Pair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals,...
, and as a hobby in university circus groups.
An adagio pair consists of one person acting as a flier and another as a base. The base remains in contact with the floor and the flier is balanced in the air. The base may move between a variety of positions including lying on the floor, crouching, standing and kneeling. The flier may be balanced on the base's feet, hands, shoulders, knees, thighs, back or combinations of these, in a variety of positions and orientations including horizontal, vertical or even upside down. In general, it is easier for the flier to be lighter and the base heavier and stronger, though this is not a requirement as equal partner weights or even an imbalance of weights in the other direction can be leveraged.