Ballet in rhythmic gymnastics: considerations about technique and instrumentation for the sport

In its historical trajectory, rhythmic gymnastics (RG) has been influenced by Swedish Gymnastics, Dance and Theatrical Arts, being today a sport characterized by a strong artistic and aesthetic appeal. Thus, starting out as field study research, this manuscript aims to bring data, but mainly reflections about the way in which classical ballet classes have been conceived and used in the training of high-performance rhythmic gymnasts. This is field research, with qualitative and quantitative approach (quanti-quali). The sample consisted of nine participants (coaches and / or ballet instructors) who work with athletes in junior and senior categories in the Sao Paulo State, with indexes in national championships. A questionnaire tool was conducted in the period from May 1st to 15th, 2018, in loco. Data showed that the most used ballet methods are Royal, Vaganova, French and Cuban; that the structure of the classes includes the bar and finalization, and that the planning of ballet classes is collaborative. The main goal of this practice is to learn and improve the implementation of the ballet movements in the RG Code of Points (CoP), and thus, the contents are mostly the higher valued body elements. It was concluded that there is still an accumulation of functions (coach and ballet instructor in one person), a strong influence of the CoP in the training plan of classic ballet classes, which unfortunately reinforces the great instrumentalization of this practice, disregarding its characteristics as an art, and its creative, rhythmic, aesthetic and expressive aspects.