艺术体操在1984年正式被列为奥运项目，是一个仅允许女选手参加的比赛项目。
艺术体操包括集体项目和个人项目，集体项目分为相同器械和不同器械；个人项目包括绳、圈、球、棒、带操。
在当今世界上，俄罗斯、意大利和保加利亚等国家具有较强的实力。中国选手的国际最好成绩是周小菁在1998年曼谷亚运会上的金牌。在2006年多哈亚运会上，中国艺术体操队夺得了团体铜牌，肖一鸣也获得了个人全能铜牌。
肢体动作 机械动作 场地与器材
1.艺术体操：rhythmic gymnastics
2.绳操：rope exercise
3.圈操：hoop exercise
4.球操：ball exercise
5.棒操：club exercise
6.带操：ribbon exercise
7.纱巾操：shawl [gauze kerchief]
exercise
8.团体［第一种］比赛：group competition；Competition I
9.个人全能［第二种］比赛：individual competition; Competition 11
10.单套［第三种］比赛：pattern competition；Competition III
11.规定成套舞蹈：prescribed pattern dance
12.舞蹈动作的编排设计：choreography
肢体动作
13.弓箭步：lunge
14.交叉步：crossed [scissors] step
15.弹簧步：springy step
16.滚动步：rocking step
17.足尖步：toe-step
18.足尖步走动：walking on toes
19.波浪步：waving step
20.身体波浪：body waving
21.身体侧波浪：body waves sideward
22.蛇行行进：wave marching
23.舞步：dance step [walk]
24.波尔卡舞步：polka step
25.华尔兹：waltz
26.华尔兹舞步：waltz [triple] step
27.肖蒂谢舞步（一种慢速波尔卡舞步）：Schottische step
28.芭蕾脚位：ballet foot
29.芭蕾手臂一[二……］位：ballet arm 1 [2…]
30.绷脚尖：tiptoe stretching
31.小跳：échappé; jeté
32.跨跳：stride leap
33.反跨跳：counter [reverse] stride leap
34.哥萨克跳：Kozatsky jump
35.沙赛（半蹲并步跳）：chassé
36.飞身：flying
37.滑叉：sliding fork
38.羚羊跳：antelope jump
39.结环跳：arched jump
40.击足跳：beat hop
41.击打；巴特曼：battement
42.大踢腿：grand battement
43.小踢腿：battement degage
44.交换腿跳：change-leg jump; scissors leap; jeté passé
45.交换腿跨步跳：chance-leg stride leap
46.交换腿跳转体180o单结环跳：hop with half turn and rear leg flexed backward
47.交换腿跳转体180o劈叉：hop with half turn onto forward straddle split
48.J字平衡：balance J
49.侧举腿平衡：single-leg side lever; balance stand with leg lift sideward
50.踹燕：kick swallow
51.控腿：développé
52.单腿转体：single-leg twist
53.跳转：jump with half turn
54.蹲立转体180o ：squat stand with half turn
55.单腿摆动跳转体180o ：single-leg swing with half turn
56.平转：horizontal twist
57.翻身：turn over
58.后软翻：backward reversal
59.希奈（掂脚尖一系列快速移动）：Chaine
60.伊柳辛（单脚支撑后摆经垂直劈腿转体360o）：illusion
61.弗韦泰（单腿转，另一条腿在空中划圈）：fouetté
持械动作
62.摆；挥：swing
63.抛接：throw out and take back
64.绕环：circle
65.绕8字：circle in figure 8
66.螺旋绕：spiral
67.摆绳：swing the rope
68.跨跳过绳：stride leap over the rope
69.两臂交叉跳绳：rope-skipping with hands crossed
70.持绳体前后绕“8”字：circle the rope in figure 8 in front and at the back
71.滚动圈：roll the hoop
72.垂直旋转圈；陀螺转圈：spin hoop gyrally
73.向前滚动圈然后倒回：roll the hoop forward and then backward
74.钻圈：skip through the hoop
75.背后滚球：roll the ball on back
76.单臂滚球：roll the ball on one arm
77.两臂滚球：roll the ball from one arm to the other
78.拍球：pat [bounce] the ball
79.脚掌拍球：pat the ball with the sole
80.连续拍球：pat the ball continuously
81.侧抛：throw sideward
82.火棒体前交叉摆动：move the club in cross scissors in front of the body
83.单手抛棒另手接：throw up the club with one hand and take it back with the other
84.单手抛棒双手接：throw up the club with one hand and take it back with both
85.火棒体前大绕环：move the club in giant circles in front of the body
86.火棒体侧异向大绕环：move the club in giant circles towards the opposite direction
87.火棒体侧向后竖直绕：circle the club vertically backward at the side of the body
88.带绕环：circle the ribbon
89.水平环绕：horizontal circle
90.8字绕环：circle the ribbon in figure 8
91.内螺形：inner spiral
92.外螺形：outer spiral
93.垂直螺形：vertical spiral
94.垂直蛇行：wave vertically like a snake
95.水平蛇带：wave the ribbon horizontally like a snake
96.向前后挥带：swing the ribbon forward and backward
97.左右挥带：swing the ribbon leftward and rightward
场地与器材
98.比赛场地：competition area
99.轻器械：hand apparatus
100.（火）棒（Indian）：club
101.绳：rope
102.圈：hoop
103.球：ball
104.（绸）带：ribbon
105.纱巾：shawl; gauze kerchief
（BOCOG 实习生 屈上 英语点津 编辑 ）
