A team from Delta Gymnastics is headed to Austria next month for the World Gymnaestrada.
Held every four years, it is similar to the Olympics and attracts over 21,000 participants. Delta Gymnastics will be representing Team Canada and is one of more than 60 countries in the non-competitive FIG Gymnastics-for-All event.
Participation is for everyone regardless of gender, age, cultural background and ability. Gymnaestrada is a unique form of gymnastics that weaves music to a choreographed performance that combines dance, acrobatics, and gymnastics, with participants of various ages and skill levels.
"Gymnaestrada focuses on mass participation and the goal is to promote and encourage joy in movement,” explains Jenn Watts-Turner, Delta Gymnastics Gymnaestrada Program Coordinator. "Teams can be as small as 10 gymnasts or as many as 100 and performances can range in duration from 3.5 minutes for smaller teams to 15 minutes for larger teams. It is thrilling to watch!”
The Delta Gymnastics team ranges in age from 11 to 70 plus years and includes coaches, competitive gymnasts, recreational and high school participants and spouses.
Team members come from many backgrounds including dance, cheer, competitive gymnastics, tumbling and more. Each person brings something special to the team which allows for a very rich and multi faceted performance.
"The Delta Gymnastics Gymnaestrada team has been training for four years to get to this point and it is incredibly exciting to see how far the team has advanced,” added Watts. “We are proud to represent Team Canada and Delta Gymnastics at this world-wide event.”
The World Gymnaestrada celebrates diversity, cooperation and community.
This festival has been said to play an important role in promoting a philosophy that focuses less on being better than someone but celebrating the differences, collaboration and teamwork on a social and physical level. Gymnaestrada had been credited with encouraging huge numbers of people to find enjoyment in a discipline of gymnastics in a non-competitive and collaborative way.
“We love offering Gymnaestrada at our gym as it gives participants a chance to bond and experience the camaraderie and pleasure of performing as one team,” says Ana Arciniega, Executive Director at Delta Gymnastics. “It is a celebration of movement that encourages creativity for male and female gymnasts of all ages and abilities.”
The World Gymnaestrada will take place from July 7-13.
Delta Gymnastics Society offers programs from infants to seniors at their Ladner facility year-round. For information of events, programs and activities visit http://www.deltagymnastics.com.
