| History of Ukrainian Rhythmic Gymnastics |
Rhythmic gymnastics as a kind of sport for women began forming a long time ago. French physiologist and teacher George Demin (1860-1917) made a big contribution into a scientific background for physical education of women. Another French teacher – François Delsarte (1811-1871) worked out a theory about the moving skills with expression. A famous dancer Isadora Duncan (1878-1927) also helped greatly the development of rhythmic gymnastics
The “rhythmic or aesthetic gymnastics” of Jacques Dalkrose (1865-1914) that appeared at the end of 19th-beginning of the 20th century made a great influence on rhythmic gymnastics too as well as foreign systems of physical education : “natural gymnastics”, “body culture”, “rhythmoplatistique” and “functional female gymnastics”.
The history of development of rhythmic gymnastics in former USSR and Ukraine allows to shape such periods :
1) conceptional (before revolution of 1917-1921 years)
2) from 1917 till 1945 – conception of rhythmic gymnastics as a way of physical female education
3) from 1948 till 1945 – conception of rhythmic gymnastics as a kind of sport (mass popularity and sports mastery)
4) from 1955 till 1983 – perfecting the scientific-methodical background of the USSR school of rhythmic gymnastics and it’s way to the international arena
5) from 1984 till 1996 – rhythmic gymnastics joins the Olympic family
6) from 1992 till nowadays – development of rhythmic gymnastics in sovereign Ukraine
Already in the pre-war period, in 1939, first competitions were held in Leningrad in the frames of individual competition using free program. 2nd competition took place in 1941 using the classificational program for 1st, 2nd and 3rd category and for the beginners with giving the gymnasts the category of Leningrad classification. The system of judging was also worked out except the classificational program, studying programs and methodical textbooks. That is how the backgrounds of new kind of sport were set.
Comparative youth of rhythmic gymnastics had it’s benefits. The kid was born formed according to the last tendencies of sports science, provided methodically thanks to the work experience of western specialists, critically thought over, having gone through all practical inspections in hard, but giving the way to art experiments in the beginning of the century.
Despite a full of contradictions, difficult way of the young kind of sport, now, from the sight of 50 years, it becomes really clear. You do not stop to wonder the amount of work which was done.
If there are periods that are called “heroic” in history, in rhythmic gymnastics such period was the 30s-40s and beginning of the 50s when the master program was created.
M.V.Lisitsian is the coach of the first World champion in rhythmic gymnastics Ludmila Savinkova. She finished the Institute of rhythm and plastic in Tiflis in 1925, studied from 9 till 16 years old on the Stage teaching faculty. The diploma gave her the right and knowledge of the teacher and art worker using the system of Delsarte.
The subjects that she studied were rhythm, plastic, mimics, gest, dance (theory and technique), the course in physical education, theory of Delsarte – methodics of plastics. And additional subjects such as stage make-up, art history, music theory, solfegio.
|
|
|
There in Tiflise Maria Vertanovna saw the dance of Isadora Duncan. Poplar in Russia before the revolution, Isadora Duncan who made a huge influence on the whole artistic world was performing barefoot half-nude. Her clothes was a light Greek dress. Beauty, wonderfully wormed, emotional, dynamic, speedy, she improvised her dances under classical music – Shuman, Shopen, Gluk, Tchaikovsky, Fokin. Stanislavsky, poets, painters, musicians were charmed by her, Her performances conquered ballet artists as well, her genre become popular
After the revolution Duncan was one of the first to come to the Soviet Russia. Isadora wanted to create her own school that will give birth to a person with free plastics, natural and graceful, emotional that was to renew the world.
The school was opened in 1922. After Duncan has left, the school was ruled by her daughter Irma. After many years in 1947 this school, reformed into studio, sent her students to the first All soviet contest in rhythmic gymnastics in Tallin.
Around the same time as Duncan Russia was visited by Jacques Dalcrose with his school of rhythmic gymnastics. In 1912 S.Volkobsky opened in St.Petersburg the course in rhythmic gymnastics. The graduates of this course were the foundators of rhythmoplatistics studio in future. A.M.Nevinskaya and R.A.Varshavskaya were among them. Later on they were the teachers on the school of rhythmic movement at the Institute of Physical Culture named after P.F.Lesgaft that was opened in 1934. Together with E.N.Gorlova, Z.D.Verbova, A.N. Larionova, A.M. Semenova and others they taught a plethora of future coaches in rhythmic gymnastics. Thanks to such people as Y.N.Shishkariova, T.T. Varakina. L.N. Kudriashova, A.R.Barisihina, G.A. Boborova, S.V. Nechaeva, A.N.Cheplenko this kind of sports was set in the country.
First tries to make contests in rhythmic gymnastics were done by the All soviet committee since 1944. The first All soviet contest was opened on the 22nd of November 1947 in the Tallin drama theatre. The team from Ukraine didn’t participate. The program consisted of 2 exercises : with and without apparatus. The elements of stage art were dominating in the performances of the participants. In march of 1948 the All soviet sports committee had a meeting of the All soviet commission in the questions of classificational program, rules of competitions, set terminology in rhythmic gymnastics. It was reflected on the contents of the 2nd All soviet contest that took place in November of 1948 on the stage of the Tbilisi theatre named after Sh.Rustavili. Here we could see some first steps away from theatralisation that became the first steps towards the victory of sport over amateur performances. In April of 1948 the first Ukrainian Natinal Championship took place in Charkiv in which 7 teams from different regions took part. The gymnasts performed an exercise without apparatus and with ball. In team event the first place was won by gymnasts from Kiev, 2nd – from Kharkov, 3rd – from Lvov. Lidia Silchenko became the first champion of Ukraine. In 1949 the champion of Ukraine was again L. Silchenko. The team of the republic consisting of L.Silchenko, L.Buts, Bahareva, Podshvalova, Suvorova, Liahova, Amchislavskaya, Yushko, Yepikina, Pshenichnaya, Arianova, Yusuva took part in the first USSR championship that took place in Kiev. 4 exercises were in it’s programm : free exercise without apparatus, with apparatus, with acrobatic elements and gymnastic vault over the plank. 90 gymnasts took part in the competition. Luibov Denisova became the champion. She was prepared by the Y.N. Shishkareva, who later on became Meritorious coach of the USSR in rhythmic gymnastics. Edited by Yulia Nikolayevna the first methodical textbook in rhythmic gymnastics was published in 1950. It was the work of many authors : A.R.Bashnina, T.T. Varakina, R.A. Varshavskaya, E.D. Verbova, E.N.Gorlova and others.
USSR Championships 1950-1951 were won by V.Sivohina from Leningrad, in 1953-1954 D. Ogorodova, also from Leningrad, was leading. On the Ukrainian Championship in 1950 the first place took E. Kucheravluk (Biruik), the student of Kyiv Physical Culture Institute), while in 1951 she gave away her leadership to M. Bulgakova (Kulpinskaya) from Kharkov, but in 1952 and 1953 E. Biruik was again the best within the republic.
In the 50s the rules of competition were created and they played a major role in the development of rhythmic gymnastics. Classificational programof 1950-1953 consisted of obligatory exercise without apparatus, with apparatus and acrobatics, free exercises with obligatory apparatus – acrobatics and apparatus performed by the group. Individual free exercises without apparatus and with apparatus by choice, vault from string ground by lot : with bent legs, with bent legs backwards, in height over the plank.
The new classificational program of 1954 created separation or division of difficulty in each category. The normative requirements for master of sport were created. Their program consisted of 6 exercises : obligatory exercise without apparatus and with apparatus by lot, free exercises with obligatory elements of acrobatics, vault over the plank (150 cm’s) one of the three by lot, 2 free exercises without apparatus and with any apparatus.
The programof Ukrainian Championship in 1954 used such program Biruik was leading in individual competition, she was the only one to cope with the norm of master of sports and became the all-round republic champion for the 4th time, 2nd place was won by A. Nujnaya, 3rd place by M. Bulgakova (both from Kharkov). V. Lubimova from Kharkov was leading in the 1st category. In team event the 1st place was won in the 6th time by the first team from Kiev (coach V.S. Zinchenko), 2nd place by the team of Kharkov region, 3rd – Lviv region.
In 1954 in Yaroslavl on the USSR Championship L. Nazmutdinova, a gymnast from Sverdlovsk, a student of a young coach E.A.Obligina, having become the all-round champion, was the only one to reach the normative of master of sport in rhythmic gymnastics. Lilia Nazmutdinova became the first master of sport in the history of rhythmic gymnastics.
Already in 1946 the first thesis “Rhythmic movement as a part of esthetic and physical education” was defended. Her author was Roza Varshavskaya.
So in the period of 1934-1954 the fundament of a new kind of sport was set, the coaches were prepared, educational and classificational programms, rules of competitions were created, methodical textbooks were published, All soviet federation in rhythmic gymnastics was founded, scientific researches were carried on together with physiologists, teacher, biomechanics.
What was the newly created system like, among which there were so many discussions. “Art of a sport” – was one of the headlines of newspapers of that time. The competitions of “graces” were quite popular. The finals of competitions were somehow similar to concerts, they often took place in the theatres, on the stage. It was difficult to get the tickets. Spectators were attracted by many things – composition, music, choice of apparatus, performance style. 10 strongest gymnasts were competing in the final as a rule. They performed free compositions without apparatus and with apparatus.
The choice of apparatus was limited only by the fantasy of athletes and coaches. There were surprising decisions : scarves on the sticks, ball in the rope, huge golden balls, clubs-snowflakes, wide ribbon-scarf. Routines with ball, hoop, ribbon, flags, clubs, scarf, rope were considered to be traditional. Gymnasts had the right to perform an exercise with 2 apparatus at once : 2 ribbons, 2 hoops, ball and a hoop, elements of dance were allowed to include in the composition, as well as pantomime, acrobatics up to a salto that was loved by the spectators. We should note that the element was performed on the floor without a carpet.
The name of musical piece and author were told during competitions. It was difficult to choose the best among the finalists. The judges were evaluating the composition, the quality of performance and general impression.