National Gymnastics Day unites athletes from the world of dance, gymnastics, martial arts and other disciplines together for a day of exhibition and celebration of their incredible displays of strength and grace, and those who practice  and dedicate their lives to it.

National Gymnastics Day was created in 1999 in conjunction with USA Gymnastics to bring greater recognition to this highly competitive field of daring feats and artistic ingenuity. Observed on the third Saturday in September, clubs and studios across the country commemorate this highly anticipated day in different ways.

USA Gymnastics partners with clubs across the country to highlight the impact of gymnastic fitness particulary on the youth,  and to honor the coaches, athletes and clubs who have kept the gymnastic tradition alive and thriving for centuries.

Many are celebrating with the National Gymnastics Day Social Media Challenge, in which participants are asked to get creative by sharing their skills by positing an image to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #NGD2017 on September 16, 2017. Winners of the #Share Your Skills Social Media Contest will be entered to win free tickets to a premier USA Gymnastics event featuring elite athletes, 2018 National congress tickets, autographed giveaways from Nastia Liukin and Sam Mikulak and more! Winners will be announced one week later on USA Gymnastics social media pages.

This rhythmic gymnast’s floor routine is more dance than tumbling.

National Gymnastics Day is also observed in other parts of the world such as Australia, which aims to showcase gymnastics as a spectacular, inclusive sport. Down Under they are celebrating the day with their annual Design-A-Leo contest, where contestants can download an outline of a leotard provided on the site and then upload their own unique design to Instagram or Twitter with the tag @GymAustralia using the hashtag #INGD2017. Submissions will also be accepted via e-mail to gymnewsletter@gymnastics.org.au, and accepted through September 14th. The chosen winner will have their original design made and presented by their official leotard partner GK Elite.

Hailing from ancient Greece, gymnastics began as a way for people to stay active and healthy, keeping them ready for battle. It became a competitive sport in 1881 when the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG) was created in Liège, Belgium. It then became part of the first modern Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece with men’s gymnastics, followed by the first female events at the Amsterdam Olympics in 1928.

A wonderfully, graceful performance from this South Korean gymnast feels like a scene from a classic ballet.

Interestingly some of the most popular gymnastic events today are those featuring elements of dance. In rhythmic gymnastics competitors compete on the floor gracefully using a ribbon, ball, hoop, clubs and rope. Whereas, artistic gymnasts compete on the beam, bars, vault and the floor without any additional apparatus. The highly anticipated floor routines have become one of the most talked about Olympic events for ages. As gymnastics effortlessly leap back and forth across the floor they bring art to life as they dance along to popular music, adding a rhythmic flow while they put on a show. They wow and entertain crowds with their artistry and grace as well as their strength, skill and athleticism.

When gymnastics and dance overlap everything from coordination, agility, balance, physical strength and beyond are tested and left out on the floor.