Backward circles (rock&roll, elbow circle, knee circles…)

A sequence of continuous loop-de-loops, one of my favorite prompts for stringing moves together.

• Knees on bar, rock & roll to elbow circle (I love this elbow circle entrance)
• Hook opposite-side knee (not my best go at that :))
• Single-knee spin around the rope
• Back single-knee circle (hands on bar)
• Horse roll
• Off the back to angel

It was a good challenge for me to end my elbow circle with the right balance of momentum and control to hook my opposite knee – too much power, and I’d go through the ropes into a second elbow circle before managing to hook it, but too little power and sending that leg across would reverse the direction of the elbow circle and send me back the other way.

I’ve always liked this single-knee spin around the rope (which works best for me with bare skin at the back of my knee), and it was nice to find a new way into it where I could continue the rotational direction from the elbow circle into a new kind of movement.

Seamlessly smooshing from that spin over toward the center of the bar for the back single-knee circle was tricky but satisfying. And although I usually teach horse rolls with the feet hooked to lock the legs together, I’m really into the version that uses adductors instead of a foot hook, so the feet can stay pointed. The off-the-back to angel continues the direction of momentum into a final-feeling shape.