Gretchen Dowsing (foreground), instructor M ildred Prchal in white blouse.
The First Gymnastics Modern School by Gretchen Sunderland Dowsing The fresh, mountain beauty of Sokoi Woodlands, New York, added immeasurably to our enjoyment of the First National School for Gymnastics Modern (August 30September 4). Directed by Mildred Prchal and Norma Zabka, this school attracted students from California to New York, and even a few from Canada . .. The instructors added an exciting international flavor to our workshop: Maria Bakos is the coach of the Hungarian Gymnastics Modern Team; Eva Balazs, now teaching at Sargent College, is from Czechoslovakia. After settling ourselves in our modern motel rooms, we began classes in the huge, beautiful gymnasium set in among the pines. We were instructed in basic to advanced skills with quite a variety of hand apparatus, including hoops, balls, clubs, ribbons, and ropes. Every morning (despite our sore muscles!) Mildred Prchal led us in ballet warm-ups, which helped us better understand the terms and positions used in modern gymnastics. Maria Bakos gave us a daily workout-in body wave technique, stressing the importance of using the whole body in all gymnastic work. We gained experience learning compulsory routines with the help of Eva Balazs; she assigned us "homework" in the form of interpreting these compulsories so that we could perform them with a group. Films of the European modern gymnastics teams were shown everyday, probably in the hope that we would be inspired to greater heights! The evenings were used for additional practice and group discussions covering the topics of judging, equipment, available books, and suggestions for improvement. The students attending the school included physical education teachers, part-time gymnastics instructors, and college gymnasts. Each one seemed to find the instruction and experience valuable. The unqualified success of this summer's workshop insures its place as an important annual event. The results of our learning will surely contribute to the growth and popularity of the beautiful sport of Gymnastics Modern in the United States. 路18路