How to do a Cartwheel

Keep your arms out, be confident, and just go for it.

Fig. 1. “A man doing a cartwheel in the park.” prompt, Canva, Magic Media, 23 Feb. 2024.

“You need to be ok with falling,” says Julia Fangmann, a fourteen year old who has danced most of her life. In that time she has done hundreds if not thousands of cartwheels. Cartwheels are a common beginner dance move, but can also just be a fun skill you can do to impress your friends. In addition they also help keep your body nimble and flexible. However, “You need to work up to it,” Julia says, “it doesn’t come naturally to everyone.”

“First you need to be in the right mindset,” Julia says. Your instincts might work against you when you try flipping yourself upside down when you aren’t used to it. Once you are in the mind set for what you are about to do, get in the correct position. Lead with your strong leg, Julia advised, “you need momentum.”  Bend your front knee, shifting your weight to that leg. You want to start moving your upper body forward. Lean forward all the way, placing your lead hand on the ground. Push off with your back leg, kicking your legs into the air. Keep your left arm out and put it on the ground next, flipping around to land on your left leg. As Julia said while demonstrating, “It’s as easy as that!”

“You might be scared for your first one,” says Julia, “but you can’t bail out.” To get used to being upside down you can start small. Julia suggests bending your back to keep your head more horizontal; this will allow you to keep your head more stable and reduce the fear you may have for the first couple of attempts. She also recommends a mat if you think you may get injured. “I’ve hurt my ankle before landing wrong,” she said, and a mat could provide extra protection. Don’t get discouraged if you have trouble progressing. It may take you a while to be able to straighten your back more, but you will eventually get better.

Cartwheels get easier the more you do them. Julia knows from experience how practice has improved her skills over time. Training different difficult dance moves over 11 years has given her experience with this one final piece of advice, “Keep trying, no matter where you are starting, you will get better.”