I’m a sucker for any live performance whether it is sport, music or theatre. Recently I’ve caught a few glimpses of the BBC programme Tumble which has reignited my love of gymnastic and acrobatic performances. Before you panic - no I haven’t taken to the sprung floor; gymnastics is a sport I love to watch but am content to stay a safe distance away from. As a youngster I was quite flexible but the idea of pursuing a career in gymnastics was promptly put to bed when my sister and I were given a trampoline. I could spend all day bouncing up and down going from my feet to my bottom but I just couldn’t master the somersault. I eventually gave up after flying off the end and landing in an unforgiving garden shrub.
Last week I had the chance to watch top class gymnasts in action when the Moscow State Circus toured the UK. My childhood memories of the circus consist of a cringe-worthy clown, a few token animals and a lot of filling between performances; either the circus has changed or I’ve grown less sceptical in my old age. I was blown away with the performances of the Russian cast. My mouth was wide open throughout the whole show. The first act was suspended by only her neck whilst spinning around and contorting her body in flowing positions that would challenge most of us on the floor yet this was over ten metres off the ground.
I did note that safety for the performers is now vastly improved with most acts making use of a secure wire but all this seems to have done is caused the gymnasts to push themselves to another level. These athletes were delivering Olympic level performances; I just hope they receive that level of appreciation from anyone lucky enough to watch them.
