The Russian bar (or Russian barre) is a circus act which combines the

gymnastic Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...

skills of the

balance beam The balance beam is a rectangular artistic gymnastics apparatus and an event performed using the apparatus. Both the apparatus and the event are sometimes simply referred to as "beam". The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring i ...

, the rebound tempo skills of

trampoline A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched between a steel frame using many coiled springs. Not all trampolines have springs, as the Springfree Trampoline uses glass-reinforced plastic rods. People bounce o ...

, and the swing handstand skills of the uneven bars and the

parallel bars Parallel bars are floor apparatus consisting of two wooden bars slightly over long and positioned at roughly head height. Parallel bars are used in artistic gymnastics and also for physical therapy and home exercise. Gymnasts may optionally we ...

. The bar itself is a flexible vaulting pole around long, typically made of

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; three vaulting poles may also be fastened together to create a flexible beam. The act involves two bases balancing the bar on their shoulders, and one flyer standing on the bar, with the flyer bouncing and performing aerial tricks and landing on the bar. This genre of circus act was first created by the Russian artist Alexander Moiseev, who brought his act twice to the

International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo The International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo (french: Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo) is an annual circus festival that is held in Monaco every January. The festival was created in 1974 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco to reco ...

, winning the Gold and Silver Clown.

Technique

Two "porters" or bases (bottom people) hold the Russian bar horizontally between them on their shoulders, each supporting one end of the bar; they control the bar and the movements of the "flyer" (top mounter), who stands atop the bar. The flyer prepares for the bar's catapult when the bases give a "ready" signal, and the bases guide the flyer into tempo swings and transitional aerial moves. For more intricate acrobatic-aerial techniques, two to three poles can be secured together, allowing for a higher lift and resulting in more airtime. At the present heights, aerial skills such as "full-in, full-out" (double twisting doubles), trifis (triple twisting somersault), triple sault and "Miller" (triple twisting double) somersaults are possible. There is also an advanced tactic known as the flippy floppy. It has only been landed a few times, but is a quadruple twisting double. The Russian bar act requires

acrobat Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro d ...

s to be highly skilled in tumbling and to have experience with

and/or sports acrobatics. Performers must collaborate on many levels. The act requires not only physical skill, but psychological and communicative skills as well. As the flyer is flung high in the air, a good deal of clearance is necessary when performing this acrobatic act. An act featuring the Russian bar appeared on ''

America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribu ...

'' and was voted to return.

Technique

References

Further reading