Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

Group Gymnastics: Full of Impact! A Showcase of Spectacular Large-Group Stunts

Group Gymnastics: Full of Impact! A Showcase of Spectacular Large-Group Stunts

Last updated:2025/5/23

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

Group gymnastics, where teammates work together to create a single performance, always bring extra excitement to sports festivals.

Among them, techniques performed by large groups not only amaze and move the audience, but also give the performers themselves the greatest sense of accomplishment.

In this article, we introduce group gymnastics techniques that can be performed by five or more people.

We’ve gathered a selection of powerful moves, including classics like the pyramid and the fan.

Please be very careful to avoid injuries, and give them a try!

Group Gymnastics: Full of Impact! A Showcase of Big, Large-Group Moves (1–10)

Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge

The “Rainbow Bridge” is a spectacular move that’s perfect for the climax of a group gymnastics routine.

It’s performed by ten or more people, so it looks very impressive.

If you’re doing it with ten, line up in two rows of five so that the two people at the front are facing each other.

The two at the ends lie down with their knees raised.

The next two sit on the first pair’s knees, and one by one, everyone opens out to form a bridge shape while supporting the person in front of them.

The shape can change depending on how everyone balances as they open out, so the position of the two in the middle is especially important.

Because it involves many people, coordinating your timing is challenging, making it a high-difficulty move.

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pirate ship

pirate ship

pirate ship

You might think it’s a pyramid, but it’s actually a “pirate ship”! Here’s a five-person move that’s also great for the climax of a group gymnastics routine.

The base person spreads their knees to form a pyramid shape; the next two link shoulders, place their hands on the base’s knees, and crouch.

The other two stand facing each other with their backs toward the first pair.

Finally, one person supports the handstand legs, and when everyone extends one hand to strike a pose, it’s complete.

Since each person has a different role, the key is whether you can move in a way that makes the most of your teamwork.

Try it while discussing how to keep your balance and other details.

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High-speed pyramid

Taking on the group gymnastics skill “High-Speed Pyramid” from elementary school physical education body-building exercises! Know the key points to do it safely!

High-speed pyramid

It’ll amaze the audience too! Here’s a showcase of the “High-Speed Pyramid” big move.

It feels great for the performers too when everyone’s in sync.

This one is a three-tier stunt with six people.

The key point is that the second tier is different from a regular pyramid.

Since their feet stay on the ground, it’s said to be safer.

Above all, the most important thing is to fill in the gaps so the third tier can climb up easily.

Timing and calls are also crucial.

This move packs all the best parts of group gymnastics, so definitely try to pull off a big stunt at your sports day!

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A Small Castle

A Small Castle

A Small Castle

Introducing the five-person move “Little Castle,” inspired by a castle motif.

Two people who form the castle’s base lie down facing each other with their knees raised.

The next two sit on the knees of the base.

Then, the final person stands on those knees—be sure to support their knees firmly.

Everyone spreads their arms to strike a castle-like pose, and it’s complete.

To enhance the castle look, try adjusting the angle of your arms at each position.

Since the structure is simple, you can also try arranging it with different numbers of people.

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bulldozer

bulldozer

bulldozer

Let me introduce a group gymnastics move inspired by a bulldozer.

It’s perfect for four people.

First, one person forms a “horse” (hands-and-knees position), and another places their hands on the horse’s lower back.

The next two form cactus-like shapes.

Finally, the second person lifts their leg, and the person on top of the cactus holds that foot to complete the formation.

The base is relatively stable, so it’s less risky than a pyramid.

Since each person has a different role, coordinating your timing to maintain overall balance is the key!

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fan disassembly

fan disassembly

fan disassembly

In almost every group gymnastics program, you’ll find the “fan” formation—it’s one of the classic moves.

This is the “fan break,” where that fan becomes a big, showy highlight.

A simple fan looks far more impressive when many performers line up and change the timing of when they open it.

When everyone’s breathing and movements are in sync, it feels great for both the audience and the performers.

Since the key is the timing of opening and closing, the calls and cues are very important.

It’s also fun to experiment with the number of people and try different arrangements of the routine!

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turret

Taking on the “Yagura” (tower) formation in elementary school physical education body-building exercises! The move itself has a high level of safety.

turret

Let me introduce the “Yagura,” a formation familiar from group gymnastics.

This five-person Yagura has a relatively low risk of injury, but maintaining balance is challenging for the child at the top.

First, the two children on the bottom (first tier) face the same direction, kneel in a “horse” position, and place their hips together.

The second tier lines up the same way, clamping the calves of the first tier with their knees.

Finally, the last child stands on top to complete the formation.

While it’s a relatively safe technique, please make sure children don’t attempt it on their own.

Practice with adult supervision, and aim to pull off a big move at the school sports day!

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