The month of February began with an Academy-Seminar for the FIG Rhythmic Technical Committee. This was followed by meetings of the Academy Working Groups for Aerobic-, Trampoline- and Acrobatic Gymnastics. And finally, on February 22-24, it was the turn of the working group for Rhythmic Gymnastics.

Rhythmic Gymnastics, as did the other disciplines, used the meeting to prepare the curriculum, content and resources for the first Level 3 Academies planned for January 2011. In addition, the working group reviewed all documents, resources and lectures from the previous six Level 1 and 2 academies held in 2008 and 2009. Much work needed to be done on these earlier technical manuals because of changes to the Code of Points. The new manuals for all levels and for all disciplines will focus on the education of coaches independent of specific references to the codes.

Present at the meeting were FIG Vice President Slava Corn, Daniela Della Chiaie of Italy member the FIG Technical Committee for Rhythmic Gymnastics, Natalia Gorbulina the national coach of Russia, Nadia Alexandrova the British National Coach, Professors Claude Ferrand of France and Nota Klentrou of Canada, Hardy Fink Director of FIG Education & Academy Programmes and Olivia Bille Pena Manager of FIG Education Programmes. Unable to attend was Nina Vytrichenko of Spain. In addition, Victoria Ataol served as translator among the Russian, French and English languages that are used throughout the meetings.

What has served the Academy Programme well at all meetings, is that once the business items were finished, the working group used the rest of the meeting as a working meeting to review and modify the documents, resources and technical manuals from the Level 1 and 2 academies. A major update was made to the Level 1 and 2 Technical Manuals and also to the Age Group Resource DVD that is given to all coaches that attend an academy. The Level 3 manual was begun as well as the technical and theoretical lectures.

Rhythmic Academies will be held in Namibia, Portugal, Brazil and Egypt this year. That first Level 3 Academy planned for next January will be used to invite the coaches of the world's most successful countries.