Review of Selected Studies on Aesthetic Sports and Creative Arts

Abstract

There are different classifications of sports and disciplines. The division into individual and collective is considered fundamental. From the aspect of all divisions, they are mainly bipolar (like Men/Women Artistic Gymnastics) instead of the psychological typology of sports activities, where certain individual sports belong to the group of aesthetic-coordination ones. Rhythmic gymnastics (RG) is the most typical representative in this group, where complex movements predominate most acyclic type. Activities in RG occur in several disciplines with different apparatus (rope, hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon), and only younger age categories have exercises without apparatus. In each domain, many elements are performed, which differ according to their structural groups, although exercises of a dynamic character prevail over static ones. Previously, the structure of sports achievement was determined based on the so-called Equation of success specification, which assessed the contribution of specific segments of the anthropological status of athletes in the prediction of sports results. However, when the result depends on the subjective assessment of the judge, the structure is proposed through the Code of Points (CoP). The decisive factors that prevail in line on the Rules of Assessment, which accurately considers the difficulty of the elements for free routines, musical accompaniment, and the appearance throe the artistic impression of the gymnast. In general, it is a sports activity in which a perfect symbiosis of music and movement is achieved, with a solid aesthetic impression when performing free routines. These characteristics are also present in other sports within this group, with similarities in the methodology of training, the elements of technical difficulties, and the way of assessing the athletes’ achievements. Where looking at specific segments of the anthropological status of rhythmic gymnasts, the determinants of sports achievement are pointed out, viewed, first of all, from the aspect of assessment rules (CoP), which has undergone significant changes in recent years to encourage the rapid development of RG and its inclusion in the Olympic sports family.