Tips from Barry:
Routines are timed from the beginning of the movement – not the beginning of the music. A standing intro is desirable – this allows the gymnast begin in an artistic manner. A long standing intro is advantageous to athletes needing to shorten the routine a bit. I think it is best when limited to about 4 measures of music. Trying to start the movement on the first beat of the music is a mistake – hard to do and very hard on the athlete. When a gymnast starts a routine, the only thing that should be on her mind is that opening pass – that’s where the action is. Starting exactly with the music is nerve wracking and doesn’t add anything to your score. A music intro lets you relax into your first movement and start it as a dance move.
Picking Music:
When I am helping select music for an athlete, these are some of my considerations:
- The dance style of the music must be correct for the movement style of the athlete.
- The music must be at the correct energy level for the gymnastics. Music that is to weak doesn’t give the athlete enough support, music that is to strong overpowers the movement and makes it look weak.
- It’s great when the athlete loves the music. Do not pick music because you know it and like it – pick it because you will do well with it. Be sure to think about the success of the routine first and foremost. There is a lot of great music that doesn’t make good music for gymnastics.
- Floor-ex is a theatrical presentation – the music assigns an identity to the athlete. Think about who you actually are – you don’t have to flash a grin if you don’t flash grins. Smile a lot if you love to smile a lot. If you are all about Rock and Roll – go for it.