Jump Rope - Artistic

Jump rope as a performing art?? I doesn't take any convincing that rope jumping is a recreational activity. Everyone knows that kids, especially, love to jump rope for fun. Similarly, everyone knows that rope jumping is a great form of exercise - after all, boxers and many other athletes do it for training. It also doesn't take a leap of imagination to see how it can become a sport. But, how can the humble activity of jump rope be put in league with other performing arts like dance or figure skating?

Actually, if I were to pick one other activity that had the most parallels to rope jumping, it would be ice skating. After all, like ice skating, it is a form of recreation and exercise. Also, in there respective sports there are individual and team events, speed and endurance events, and many different skills which allow for freestyle competition. Finally, ice skating has the lesser known, but beautiful to watch ice dancing event where the focus is not just on the difficulty of the routine, but the creativity, subtlety and interpretation to music as well.

Rope jumping has all the versatility of ice skating as an activity, including an artistic side.

At first, it might seem hard to imagine a person jumping up and down with subtlety. A highly skilled rope jumper, however, can jump with fluidity, dynamism, power, grace, and any combination thereof. Plus, there are literally thousands of skills at his or her disposal. Proof lies in the fact that many jump rope "artists," including ourselves (see Ropics Show), have done jump rope routines in every venue imaginable: stage shows, circuses (including the artistic Cirque du Soleil), national TV, talent competitions, sporting event half times, etc. etc. right along side other performing artists.

Deb & I doing an "artistic" routine on the river front.

In case you're a stickler for the definition of performing art, we've also been featured in dance concerts and martial arts tournaments. Admittedly, I think that it would have been very difficult to be allowed on stage in these venues, especially martial arts, if our routines didn't incorporate many non-jumping skills. In these situations, jumping over the rope was executed on occasion, rather than as the foundation of the routine. In the case of martial arts tournaments, I use a jump rope-like weapon called "suruchin" (see photo at right) and limit my jumping to a few power skills to demonstrate overall mastery of the weapon.

Finally, if you've ever seen rhythmic gymnastics in the Olympics (see thumbnail to the left), you'll also recognize that the routines these young women do with jump ropes (and other apparatuses) are also quite artistic.

How do you become a jump rope "artist" as opposed to just being very good with a jump rope? Here's what I feel are the background training and elements that you should have to attain that judgment from others:

	Be trained in a movement discipline like dance, a martial art, or gymnastics (or be naturally gifted!).
	Execute skills and routines smoothly, with purpose, focus, and poise.
	Vary skill and routine execution with nuances perhaps reflected in your posture, how your toes are pointed (see the gymnast above), a free hand is held, etc.
	Although not mandatory, it greatly helps to have accompanying music with which you can complement your routines.
	The right apparel will definitely help. It's going to be tough come across artistically in a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt, unless perhaps you are doing a hip-hop styled routine. Pick apparel according to the audience expects, and what you are trying to convey.
	Finally, the old adage: "practice, practice, practice."