ABSTRACT

This article explores the uniquely Australian leisure activity of calisthenics. The term ‘calisthenics’ has multiple applications; initially, it described a variety of exercise prescribed for physical and mental health. Australian calisthenics defies easy definition, representing a confluence of sport, music and dance; it is a highly structured competitive activity, affording the opportunity for a study of bodies, spaces and places. Individuals’ movements are nestled within the framework of the team, and the synchronous corporeality that is a feature of each calisthenics discipline serves as a stimulus for spatial awareness and the construction of a shared physicality. Calisthenics provides an ideal exemplar of various kinds of leisure work, including somatic, emotional, cultural and community-building labour. Competitions underpin the activity, producing aesthetic strictures and perpetuating the requirement for considerable economic investment. Thus, the article represents a multi-faceted analysis of an important aspect of Australia’s leisure and social histories.

摘要

本文探讨了澳大利亚独有的健美操休闲活动。“健美操”一词有多种用途；最初，它描述了为身心健康而规定的各种运动。澳大利亚的健美操很难定义，它代表了运动、音乐和舞蹈的融合；这是一项高度结构化的竞赛活动，为研究身体、空间和地点提供了机会。个人的运动依偎在团队的框架内，作为每个健美操学科的特征的同步身体作为空间意识和共享身体结构的刺激。健美操提供了各种休闲工作的理想范例，包括身体、情感、文化和社区建设工作。比赛支撑活动，产生审美限制并使大量经济投资的需求永久化。因此，这篇文章代表了对澳大利亚休闲和社会历史的一个重要方面的多方面分析。