Thoughts on Low to Beam Work

Here's a montage by the lovely MostepanovaFan (I'm telling you to go subscribe to her channel again) highlighting unique low to beam work. Some of my favorite work is in this montage, such as Li Li's spectacular back spin to splits at 1:46, Irina Yevdokimova's butt spin at 0:01, Jackie Bender's physics-defying acro strength and flexibility at 1:00 and 2:37, Lilypod's head-cartwheel-thing at 1:59, Vera Caslavska's v-sit at 2:12, and neck rolls aplenty.

However, some of these, such as 0:11, 0:40, 3:46, and 4:09 I just find boring. I'd far rather watch a quick and pretty flourish such as Shawn Johnson's than a gymnast who's lingering low on the beam and appears as if she doesn't know what's coming next and is scared to get up again. These ones I find boring also tend to be pure choreography and don't have any elements or strength or flexibility moves.

FIG appeared to be making an amendment to the close to apparatus requirements at the beginning of 2014 when they released all the COP videos, but no one could quite figure out what they were, even after reading the FIG lit to go along with all those videos. All I know is I liked the look of it. Too bad it appears to have been dumped. I really prefer the don't-get-deduction examples to the do-get-deduction examples.

I also like actual changes in level. I'm so sick of gymnasts just doing their low to beam work in the mount! Actually move up and down!

I love Yang Yun's change in levels. She didn't even do all that much close to the beam, she just switched up and down so much. It really does add to the artistic impression to a routine when the gymnast utilizes all levels and planes.

Oksana also had great use of different levels. I love how she didn't always get low to the beam to the same degree, but sometimes she was on her knees, sometimes she was sitting, and sometimes she was all the way down close to the beam.

So, these are basically the points for me when it comes to close to apparatus work on beam:

1. It shouldn't take too long/feel like wasting time

2. Don't have it in the mount

3. I like actual elements/element variations, strength, and flexibility moves

Side note: Does anyone know where I can find footage of Li Li's beam from the 1994 Worlds? I know that's the competition in the montage, but I can't find it anywhere.