Kailena Van de Nes
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06/10/2026
Acro and gymnastics are both incredible disciplines—but they are not the same thing.
While many skills may look similar on the surface, the training goals, arm positions, class structure, artistry, and application are very different.
Gymnastics is a sport designed around power, precision, and competitive events.
Acro is a performance art that combines dance, flexibility, balance, strength, and tumbling to create movement that can be performed on stage.
Neither is “better” than the other. In fact, many athletes benefit from training both.
✨ Understanding the difference helps dancers train more effectively and parents make informed decisions about their child’s training.
Did anything in this carousel surprise you?
👇 Tell me in the comments:
Acro, Gymnastics, or Both?
Acro is so much more than learning tricks.
At my Acro workshop, dancers worked on all of the foundational elements that support long-term success:
✨ Limbering for flexibility and range of motion
⚖️ Balancing for control and body awareness
🤸 Tumbling progressions for safe skill development
💪 Strength training to support technique and prevent injury
The strongest acro dancers aren’t always the ones learning the most tricks—they’re the ones building the foundation that allows those tricks to be performed safely, consistently, and beautifully.
Thank you to Vantage Pointe Dance for having me! ❤️
Thank you and ’s back walkover variation inspiration from AcroDance Resource Center for this weeks class challenge 🫶🏼 we even added to the end 🩷 Who’s adding more to this one? 👀
A full scorpion/needle takes more than just flexibility ✨
Control, alignment, strength, active mobility, and proper warm up all play a huge role in training this skill safely and correctly.
Hyper-mobile dancers especially need stability and strength to support the range of motion they naturally have.
So proud of these dancers at Milani Dance for the work they continue to put into building strong, healthy technique — not just pretty shapes 🩷
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