A group section for a rehearsed troupe whose routine is built on tumbling, balances and partner skills, judged on safe execution, shared timing and polish within a five-minute limit.
An acrobatics troupe is a rehearsed group act in which the dancers build the routine around acrobatic skills: cartwheels, rolls, walkovers, handstands, balances held by one or more dancers, and simple partner or group lifts, linked by dance steps so the piece still reads as a performance and not a series of tricks. The skills are shared among the whole troupe, so the act is judged as a company effort rather than as a showcase for its strongest tumbler.
A typical routine opens with a strong group shape, moves through a run of floor skills performed in waves or in unison, includes one or two balance or partner pictures that the troupe holds for a clear count, and ends on a final formation that is steady and well timed. Choreographers vary the levels, so some dancers are low while others are upright, and they time the big moments to the music instead of leaving the skills to fall wherever the dancers happen to be ready.
On the entry form the act is a team in one age band. The Sydney template in the eTalenter catalogue that carries this section lists it as a team item open to boys and girls together, marked out of 100 under the label Marks, with a five-minute limit and seven age bands from 5 and under up to 15 and over. No marking criteria are printed with it, so the panel’s own sheet applies and the organiser’s notice is the place to check how skills are weighed and whether any are restricted for younger troupes.
Organisers run acrobatics as its own troupe section because the demands differ from a dance style: floor space, landing surface and safety matter as much as choreography. For a coordinator the practical points are a clear, even stage with enough depth for runs, quick and quiet changeovers, and a firm rule on who may be backstage while a troupe is performing.
Where Acrobatics Troupe is run
In the eTalenter catalogue this section appears on one Australian dance template, a Sydney showcase competition with seven troupe age bands. Acrobatic and gymnastic dance classes are a growing part of studio competitions, school dance showcases and variety festivals in several countries, usually listed as a separate class from jazz, lyrical or hip hop.
- Australia
Key facts
- Team entry for a troupe of at least four dancers, boys and girls together
- Seven age bands in the Sydney template: 5 and under, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and under, and 15 and over
- Time limit is five minutes
- Marked out of 100 (Marks); no criteria are printed in the template
- The troupe brings its own choreography, music and matching costume
- Skills are usually tumbling, balances and partner or group work, joined by dance; which skills are allowed at each age is for the organiser to say
On eTalenter, Acrobatics Troupe is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Acrobatics Troupe is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 5 minutes where a limit is set.
The scoring method the templates attach to this item, and what that scale means. The category this competition is filed under when a template is installed. Others in this category: Classical Dance, Folk Dance, Western Dance, Group Dance, Solo Dance, Cinematic Dance, Fusion Dance eTalenter matches an item to its criteria on the words in its name, and creates exactly these when the template is installed.How it is scored
Where it sits
Judging criteria installed for it
What judges look at in Acrobatics Troupe
What a Acrobatics Troupe panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Safe, controlled execution: skills are completed with straight lines, steady landings and no wobbling or rushed recoveries
- Unison and timing: waves of skills travel evenly across the troupe and balances are set and released on the same count
- Difficulty suited to the age: the skills challenge the troupe without exceeding what the youngest or least experienced member can do cleanly
- Choreography and transitions: tricks are linked by dance, formations change smoothly and the routine uses the full stage
- Musicality: the big moments land on the music and the pace of the skills matches the track
- Presentation: matching costume that does not restrict movement, confident faces and a clear opening and closing picture
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Acrobatics Troupe under Scoring Setup, or start from our group dance judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Acrobatics Troupe
How entrants and their teachers usually get Acrobatics Troupe right on the day:
- Build the routine from skills every dancer can do cleanly today, then add difficulty only once the basics are steady
- Teach each skill with a qualified coach and practise on a suitable surface, adding spotting for balances and lifts
- Count the routine aloud in rehearsal so waves, holds and releases happen together instead of drifting apart
- Film the troupe from the front and the side to check lines, spacing and the height of balances, which dancers cannot judge from inside the group
- Plan the run-ups and exits on a floor the size of the venue’s stage so nobody is short of space on the day
- Cut the music to finish inside the time limit with seconds to spare, and rehearse the final pose as carefully as the first skill
- Choose costumes and hairstyles that stay secure through rolls and handstands, and carry spares for tights and hair fastenings
- Confirm each dancer’s age against the cut-off date, because the troupe is placed in a band from its ages
Ready-made templates that already include this competition. Installing one sets it up for you.Events that run this (1)
Frequently asked questions
Is Acrobatics Troupe judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Is an acrobatics troupe the same as a jazz troupe?
No. A jazz troupe is built on jazz technique, rhythm and attitude, while an acrobatics troupe is built on tumbling, balances and partner skills linked by dance. They are separate sections in the catalogue and are judged on different skills.
How long can an acrobatics troupe routine be?
Five minutes in the template that carries it. The organiser’s notice for your event is the one that counts.
Do boys and girls take part together?
Yes. The section is a team item open to boys and girls together.
Are lifts and balances allowed for young troupes?
The template does not say. Rules on lifts, inversions and supervision vary between organisers, so read the notice for your event and keep to what the youngest dancers can do safely.
Similar competitions
Items whose names share a word with this one — usually the same discipline in another form.
Want the full judging picture? Read our group dance judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.
Try Acrobatics Troupe in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Acrobatics Troupe, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
