Gyrotonic
Encyclopedia
The Gyrotonic Expansion System is an exercise modality created by Juliu Horvath, an ethnic Hungarian born in Romania
.
Horvath was a swimmer and gymnast before becoming a ballet dancer with the Romanian State Opera Ballet.
He defected from Romania in 1970 while touring in Italy and ultimately sought asylum in the United States, subsequently dancing with the New York Opera Ballet and the Houston Ballet
.
Horvath tore his Achilles tendon
and herniated a disk while in Houston, injuries that ended his dance career. Drawn to yoga
since a child, Horvath began to develop his own form of yoga in an effort to rehabilitate his injuries. He sequestered himself in the Virgin Islands
, and during this period of intense self-study, Horvath began to develop what was once called Yoga for Dancers and has since evolved into GYROKINESIS exercises. He then returned to New York City
and began to teach this emerging system in the dance community, opening up his first studio in New York City in 1982
called White Cloud.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
Horvath was a swimmer and gymnast before becoming a ballet dancer with the Romanian State Opera Ballet.
He defected from Romania in 1970 while touring in Italy and ultimately sought asylum in the United States, subsequently dancing with the New York Opera Ballet and the Houston Ballet
Houston Ballet
The Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation, is the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the Ben Stevenson Academy, which trains more than half of the company's dancers...
.
Horvath tore his Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
and herniated a disk while in Houston, injuries that ended his dance career. Drawn to yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
since a child, Horvath began to develop his own form of yoga in an effort to rehabilitate his injuries. He sequestered himself in the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
, and during this period of intense self-study, Horvath began to develop what was once called Yoga for Dancers and has since evolved into GYROKINESIS exercises. He then returned to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and began to teach this emerging system in the dance community, opening up his first studio in New York City in 1982
called White Cloud.