From Balls and Hoops to Coconuts and Tambourines: Protagonisms and Paradoxes of European Coach Ilona Peuker on Brazilian Floors

Abstract This research analyzes the role of the Hungarian immigrant coach Ilona Peuker as a protagonist in the development of Rhythmic Gymnastics (RG), also called Modern Gymnastics, in Brazil (1953 to 1995), especially regarding her role as a gymnastics coach, coach developer and in the establishment of relationships between European and Brazilian cultures. We draw on oral histories conducted as part of two studies by the authors and documentary research based on Ilona’s website and the personal collection of the interviewees. We identify that she had a fundamental role for the introduction, dissemination, and international projection of the Brazilian RG, teaching gymnastics classes at the university, and courses in different regions of Brazil, in addition to coaching athletes and coaches of RG of international projection. Her legacy in this sport still echoes today, not only in RG routines but also in Gymnastics for All choreographies, with a paradoxical and multicultural protagonism, evidenced in her choice to use elements of Brazilian culture to develop the rhythm and to compose the choreographies, such as tambourines (typical of samba beat) and dried coconuts (typical of tropical plant life) - an original style that enchanted audiences in Brazil and Europe due to the ‘Brazilness’ in Gymnastics.

The theme of migration in sport has been gaining ground in recent research. 1 One example is the collection of essays published in the 'Sport, Europe and Migration' special issue of this journal as it brings together contributions about the socialization process of sports migrants and the effects of their arrival in the country of refuge. 2 Matthew Taylor mentions that although most of the studies on migration have their focus starting at the end of the twentieth century, the migration of athletes has a long history and was, in many cases, intimately related to the initial dissemination and early internationalization of modern sports. 3 The research development is still limited when it comes to the migration of sports coaches, especially in individual and amateur sports. 4 There is a wide range of literature about the influence of European gymnastics (gymnastics methods) in the Physical Education classes in the Brazilian school system 5 and in the development of the sport, not just in Brazil but in all Latin America. 6 In addition, two studies of the Special Edition 'From Europe to America -Gymnastics, a Transatlantic Movement' , which is also a book, bring important reflections on this topic. 7 Thierry Terret and Leomar Tesche's study 8 addresses the implementation of the French method in Brazil and Hans Bonde's study 9 investigates the connection between Niels Bukh, his Danish gymnasts and the Latin American dictatorships of both South and North America. Although it has been well-established that, in Brazil, gymnastics modalities like Rhythmic Gymnastics (RG), 10 Artistic Gymnastics, 11 and Acrobatic Gymnastics, 12 were directly influenced by the European continent, there are not many studies that highlight the relationship established between the European and the Brazilian culture in the process of introduction and development of each modality.
Brazil is a country with a significant influence of migrants, which intensified at the end of the nineteenth century and that continues up to today. During that period, there were moments of higher migration influx, influenced by major events like the formal abolition of slavery (1888), the economic depression caused by the crash of the stock market in New York (1930s), and the reorganization of the ways of production in the world stage due to the rise of the nazi-fascist regimes in Europe. 13 After World War II, the Brazilian government began facilitating the immigration of qualified workers, mainly geared towards urban and industrial activities. 14 It is in this context that, in 1953, transferred for work, the Austrian Emil Peuker and his wife, the gymnastics coach Ilona Peuker, arrived in Brazil.
This research has this backdrop as our starting point and our goal is to analyze the performance of the Hungarian immigrant Ilona Peuker as the protagonist in the development of RG in Brazil (from 1953 to 1995), especially in relation to her role as a gymnastics coach, coach developer and the establishment of the relationship between European and Brazilian cultures.
Even though Ilona Peuker was an important coach for Brazil and European countries, her life has not been studied in detail or significantly represented. In the same way as the book Histories of Women's Work in Global Sport A Man's World 15 'wishes to make available the biographies of women sports leaders whose careers and successes are not necessarily yet known to the historian community' , this article is an attempt to change this by bringing information about her career trajectory that allows us to reflect about the paths she followed from before her immigration to Brazil until her performance as a leading figure in the development of the RG in Brazil and internationally. This research is supported by presenting a historical context that emphasizes the involvement of coach Ilona Peuker in the transition and development of the beginnings of RG at international level. It also highlights the cultural exchanges in the coach's professional performance that brought value to Brazilian culture and made it known internationally in the competitive settings by her high performance athletes that, through choreography, brought elements of the Brazilian culture to international stages. In addition, it brings data and considerations about the performance of an immigrant coach that exemplify and consolidate, through her achievements, a counter argument about the appropriation of European gymnastic practices in a linear, passive, directive, and non reflective way. In other words, the focus we want to have is how Ilona Peuker brought an influence of the lessons she had had with major names of the RG and dance movement, and ended up establishing a gymnastics that inherits all of that European legacy, but at the same time having a dialogue, and appreciating, the local culture. 16

Materials and Methods
This paper is written as part of two larger research projects exploring history of RG and Gymnastics for All (GFA) in Brazil since the second half of the twentieth century. The oral sources, stemming from the oral history method, 17  The other study, approved by the Ethics Committee CAAE:88767218.6.0000.5404, interviewed the leaders in the development of GFA in Brazil, with a total of 26 interviewees between August 2018 and July 2019. 18 For this article we took into consideration five people: Artemis Soares, Daisy Barros, Geny Cursio, Geísa Bernardes and Nestor Soares Públio, given they mentioned Ilona Peuker by name and touched on historical data from the RG in the timeline discussed in the manuscript. It is important to highlight that all the interviewees from both research authorized having their real names disclosed. The documents (photographs, letters, certificates, etc.) made available by the interviewees are the main source for this study. As a secondary source we used the documentary research on the website created by her former gymnast and current historian Heloísa Frossard as a tribute to Ilona Peuker. 19 Considering that retrospective interviews allow us to think about the historical aspect of the modality approaching history as told and constructed by those who lived it, 20 oral history has become an emerging method of investigation used in sports historical studies, 21 although still in its very early stages in Gymnastics, as of the twenty-first century. 22 In this regard, Carly Adams and Mike Cronin 23 point out the possibility that stories and experiences from athletes are absent or misrepresented in the traditional archival records, reinforcing how valuable oral history can be for sports historians, whereas this method allows access to inaccessible or marginalized stories.

From the Podium to the Unknown: The Arrival of the Immigrant Coach on Brazilian Land
According to the historian Heloisa Frossard, 24 author and creator of the website that provides biographic records about Ilona Peuker, the coach was born in Budapest (Hungary) on July 29th, 1915 and died in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) on February 13th, 1995. The author brings to light details, shown below, of how the coach had already built a legacy in Europe before moving to Brazil, in South America, in 1953. As reported by Frossard, Ilona Peuker started her sports career in her native country in 1937 and stayed there until 1944. She founded and directed her own Dance and Modern Rhythmic Gymnastics school, which became a benchmark in Budapest due to the high number of students and the success of the choreographies presented to the public.
However, with the Russian invasion in Hungary during World War ll, she left for Tulln (Austria) with her family and then moved to Germany, where she lived from 1944 to 1948 in the small village of Breitenberg, in the Bavarian Forest. At that moment, due to the local conditions and the precariousness of the war, Ilona Peuker coach gymnastics to kids from the local church, trading her labor for butter, eggs and other provisions. Finally, when her husband returned home, after four years serving in the war, they returned to Austria, where they stayed from 1948 to 1953. 25 In her autobiography, Ilona Peuker describes this time as a landmark for her professional growth because, in 1951, she was invited to direct the Austrian national gymnastics team, in which she competed in championships in state, national and even international level, including World Championships and Olympic Games. 26 She recounts that after being crowned champion in the International Gymnastics Championship in The Hague, in the Netherlands her team was invited to represent Austria in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. 27 In this competition, Ilona Peuker's team won gold in the Floor Exercise and Uneven Parallel Bars; silver in the Team Competition; and bronze in the Team Portable Apparatus, Balance Beam, Floor Exercises, Uneven Parallel Bars and Individual All-Around. 28 In addition to being an Olympic Gymnastics coach, Ilona Peuker made sure to emphasize that she had not abandoned Modern Gymnastics, since she also directed and coaching the 'Öesterreichische Sport und Turn Union' (Figure 1). 29 It is worth noting that the 1952 Olympics represent an historical milestone for gymnastics due to the transition between Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics. Therefore, it is necessary to contextualize that the discipline recognized as Olympic Gymnastics, and nowadays as Artistic Gymnastics, has been part of the Olympic programme since 1896, but women's participation in it was only allowed in the 1928 games in Amsterdam. 31 In 1952, the event 'Team Portable Apparatus' was included in the Olympic Gymnastics, and it was performed to music by eight gymnasts and the apparatus was chosen by the team (rope, ball, ribbon, hoop or clubs). 32 According to the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), 33 the organization that represents Gymnastics and all its competitive modalities at global scale since its establishment in 1881, this was the first evidence of key features of the GR in Olympic Games. Team Portable Apparatus lasted only two Olympic Games, it re-emerged seven years later at the first Modern Gymnastics World Championships, and came back in the 1984 Olympics, where it had a new name, new rules and it was included in the Olympic programme as an independent discipline disassociated from the Olympic Gymnastics, being recognized as Rhythmic Sports Gymnastics, currently RG. 34 According to the International Olympic Committee, 35 RG 'continues to be a womens-only event; for balance and gender equality, the two events for this sport [individual and group] counterbalance the two fewer apparatus than Women's Artistic Gymnastics.' In this regard, it is possible that the connection that precedes its emancipation and some similarities in its roots justify referring to RG as a sister modality to Women's Artistic Gymnastics in the FIG website. 36 Therefore, when we think about the evolution of this discipline, as time passed the terminology changed to: Team Portable Apparatus (1952), Modern Gymnastics (1963), Rhythmic Sports Gymnastics (1975) and Rhythmic Gymnastics (1998), nomenclature that remains up to today. 37 Still at the 1952 Olympic Games, we determined that Ilona Peuker actively participated in the transition process mentioned above. In addition to the experience of being in the event performing three different roles, as team coach, judge for the solo events and Austrian delegate, in pre-olympic technical meetings with other delegates, she was also able to express her opinion that 'individual and floor gymnasts and group gymnasts, even at a high level performance, do not go together' 38 According to her 'The same views were shared by other nations. The athletes that had the highest scores in apparatus events totally failed at team events, and vice-versa' . 39 In her autobiography, Ilona Peuker brings more details about this important meeting with the delegates and the impact on both modalities: There were seated, without any particular planning, the eastern and western blocks, carefully separated in two groups, like fans from opposing soccer teams, that did not trust one another. The atmosphere was solemn and at the same time, comical. I don't know how I had the courage, being one of the youngest delegates, to defend my opinion with such passion. I fought, mainly, for two things: 1) to compete in apparatus gymnastics [Olympic Gymnastics] and team gymnastics [Modern Gymnastics] with two separate teams; 2) to add music to floor routines. The first item had an immediate reaction, because the IOC [International Olympic Committee] was already considering a reduction in the apparatus gymnastics championships, the second one was denied. But not for long. In Rome, two Olympics after Helsinki, musical accompaniment became mandatory for floor series, and nowadays it is impossible to be dismissed. 40 Guided by her own experience, the coach explains: There is a big difference between coaching a team where gymnasts are synchronized and that adapt to one another and coaching an apparatus team where gymnasts are individual performers and do not care or care very little about their teammates. 41 This observation leads to a reflection on the practice of RG with different teams for individual and group events. Indeed, if we analyze the results of the rankings of the major FIG competitions, focusing on the gymnasts that made it to the podium, both in team and individual events, it is possible to come to the conclusion that countries with a tradition in the sport follow this same line of thinking because the gymnasts that are medalists in individual events do not compete in group events, and vice-versa. However, in Brazil, it is common for the best individual gymnasts to be drafted for the national group team. 42 Of the eight former gymnasts that were interviewed, only one reported competing only in individual events, while the other mentioned being drafted to represent the country in both events. 43 This happens because of better opportunities, visibility and financial support offered to the group team, but that ends up affecting the individual team.
After the attendance to the 1952 Olympic Games, Ilona Peuker experienced great prestige and gained professional recognition. However, it was at this career peak that the coach changed course. About this change, she states: And the Olympic Games came to an end. Enriched by the many new experiences we had, we landed in Austria where my husband awaited for me at the airport with bombastic news: in September, meaning the following month, he would leave for Brazil. I fell twice from the sky. Once with the plane and again with my heart. I loved Austria and there I had achieved so much in my career. The doors were now open for me and I had to say goodbye to it all and leave for a foreign country, whose language was completely unknown to me. As planned, my husband left and I stayed in Austria with the kids for another nine months (before leaving for our new life in Brazil). 44 Beyond the professional experiences that preceded her arrival in Brazil, it is necessary to mention that in her coaching process: Ilona Peuker was a student of Jaques-Dalcroze (Hellerau, Germany, in 1937), of Professor Rudolf Laban (Budapeste, Hungria, in 1937), of Professor Rudolf Bode (Linz, Austria, in 1951), of Professor Ernst Idla's program (Macolin, Switzerland, in 1951) and of Professor Medau, in the famous Medau Schule that is located inside Hohenfels Palace, in Coburg, Germany. By learning from these prominent professionals, she was able to absorb an extensive knowledge on movement, which gave her the tools to develop her own school of movement, that had as a base the fusion of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Natural Movements of Isadora Duncan and the Undulating Movements of Bode and Idla. 45 According to several research findings, 46 RG did not have a linear systematization process, because it was developed, anchored and conceived by several scholars, many of them mentioned above like: the French artist and educator François Delsarte (1811-1871), with the essence of expressive movement; the Hungarian dancer and choreographer, Rudolf Von Laban (1879-1958), with expressiveness; the American dancers and choreographers Isadora Duncan (1878-1929) e Elizabeth Duncan (1871-1948), with natural movements and modern dance; the French professor and dancer, Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), with natural movements -the art of expressing yourself; the Swiss professor, conductor and composer, Emile Jaques Dalcroze (1865-1950), with the Eurythmics method -rhythmic and musical features; the German scholar and Dalcroze's pupil, Rudolf Bode (1881-1970), with expressive and modern gymnastics -elements of dance, theatre, music and the use of batons, balls and tambourines; the German professor and musician, both Bode and Dalcroze's student, and considered Bode's pupil, Heinrich Medau (1890-1974), with organic movements and the use of the baton, rope, ball and hoop. As such, we determine that the Brazilian RG was influential and had a privileged position historically. The theoretical-practical evidences brought by Ilona Peuker were based on the knowledge the coach acquired during her formative years with leading figures of transforming movements and innovative professionals who gave rise to Modern Gymnastics and, according to Grégory Quin, 47 overhauled the principles of physical education in Europe in the first half of the twentieth century.
This knowledge, that includes the singularity of her coach learning and rise of her professional career, justifies the dismay expressed by the coach when she landed at Rio de Janeiro's harbor on September 12th, 1953. After all, Ilona Peuker, at the peak of her career, arrived in Brazil, a country where this modality was still underdeveloped: With the firm intention to put an end to my career, I landed in Brazil. My depression was too great for me to make new plans. The memories of my great, albeit arduously earned successes, were still too fresh. I wanted peace and didn't want to hear anything else about gymnastics. However, everything happened differently than I expected. After a few weeks in Brazil, I was once again involved in my profession. A program for all Physical Education teachers from all states in the country was organized through Ministry of Education and Culture. 48 In this excerpt Peuker also clearly expresses her immigration to Brazil was not intentional, as well as not envisioning performing as a coach in the country, being that she only came to accompany her husband (transferred through his job). Even though we could not find any records about the job performed by Emil Peuker, we hypothesize that, in a period of strong immigration of qualified people to Brazil, he was either influential, worked at an important company or worked for powerful people in Rio de Janeiro, because soon after his arrival his wife is invited to give lectures for the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC). This shows how much political, cultural, economical and personal influence are connected to migration processes. 49 The connection between the political and economic factors in the post-war world and Ilona Peuker's personal life contributed to the influence and boost of development of the RG in Brazil. The arrival of a renowned coach in a moment where the country seeked technical and scientific knowledge, influenced by the Generalized Sports Physical Education, 50 introduced in the 1950s in Brazil, intensified the relationship between Physical Education and technical pedagogy. 51 According to Luciana Cunha, 52 the professors Auguste Listello and Maurice Baquet developed in France the Éducation Physique Sportive Generalisée [Sports General Physical Education] that, more than a simple methodological convention to sports teaching, it was a system for social constructionism through sport, including games and sports in Physical Education classes with teaching moments where obstacles and challenges could be overcome, and would also provide opportunities for learning that had as focus on collective action on behalf of a common goal. The same author explained that Listello trained many teachers in his visits to Brazil and that this method became a way to organize knowledge in Physical Education in Brazil. Cunha also points out that the professor Nestor Soares Públio, one of our interviewees, was responsible for guiding Listello's visits and translating his works to Portuguese.
A similar path was recognized in the studies of Laurita Schiavon 53 in regards to AG coaches, a modality that, in Brazil, was developed concurrently to RG, in which there was a greater appreciation for the foreign coaches who were brought to Brazil to coaching the sport. According to her, there was a lack of technical knowledge of the gymnastics modalities in Brazil. There was also a government incentive for foreign coaches to train teachers (and other coaches) as they had extensive access to information in their countries, mainly in Europe and the United States. Additionally, the author points out that MEC promoted the international exchange programs for the AG Brazilian coaches to Germany in the 1970s. This necessity of knowledge and the qualification of coaches is not different from the performance of coaches around the world in the 1970s, when internationally, large-scale professional coaching for coaches started being considered. 54 Therefore, from 1953 to 1995, it is from a context of need for specific knowledge in Brazil that Ilona Peuker will be gymnastics coach and coach developer of RG, slowly getting involved with the Brazilian culture and blending it with her own knowledge and European experiences.

'Concentric Waves': The Dissemination of Knowledge by Ilona Peuker across Brazil
The Modern Gymnastics brought by Ilona Peuker rapidly spread throughout the country like concentric waves in a river. Aside from being invited to teach the program from MEC (previously mentioned), she was invited by Mr. Alberto Latorre, director of the National School of Physical Education and Sports -ENEFD, currently part of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro -UFRJ (the first university created by the federal government, in 1920), to teach the 'Modern Gymnastics Course' to gymnasts, students and teachers, and to coaching extracurricular activities in the same university. 55 As shown in Figure 2, her course was well received and had many participants. After the success of these first experiences in Brazil, Ilona Peuker traveled the country teaching specialized courses, both at educational and competitive level. 57 When creating the courses, she followed three steps: spark interest, implement and then disseminate Modern Gymnastics across Brazil. In her own words: I didn't have any available marketing mediums, that is, I didn't have a group that could showcase what Modern Gymnastics was and what you can achieve with it. You couldn't attract people with just pretty words, not only because I didn't know any in Portuguese, but also because I believe that you have to show the worth of your work with facts. I tried to start the only way I knew how, with classes and programs to attract people's attention and spark their interest. 58 In the same way that her gymnasts' performances were paramount for the recognition of her coaching in Europe, Ilona Peuker selected a few gymnasts that were part of her classes at UFRJ to take class with her at Colégio Bennet, a traditional private school in Rio de Janeiro, so that a Gymnastics Team could be formed to help her in this mission in Brazil. 59 In the following year (1954), she taught a new summer program at UFRJ, as an extension course, and created the first Brazilian Modern Gymnastics Team, later known as 'Grupo Unido de Ginastas' -GUG (United Group of Gymnasts), named in 1956 and officially established in 1964. 60 According to Frossard, 61 the GUG performed 210 times, nationally and internationally, between 1954 and 1975 (year the coach retired). In addition, the historian highlights that the performances captivated the audience, increasing the number of practitioners and drawing attention to the sport. Therefore, we can consider the GUG essential in the promotions and dissemination of this modality in the country because, besides the choreography, which demonstrated the possibilities of the type of Gymnastics proposed by Ilona Peuker, some the GUG gymnasts were invited to assist and, many times, teach alongside Peuker. The selection of these students followed rigorous rules because, in the coach's opinion: Assistants and staffers have to follow a long and arduous path, even with a lot of raw talent. She has to be a good performer, so that she feels in her own body the technique of the movement and understands its meaning and goal, as well as have pedagogic talent so that she can pass on what she learned in a clear and correct manner. 62 In Brazil, beyond classes, Ilona Peuker published books, articles, handbooks and manuals about Morden Gymnastics. In one of her books she explains that the programs for introduction of Modern Gymnastics were 'conducted in several states, either throughout the school year or in a shorter duration intensive course format. The purpose of these courses is to introduce Modern Gymnastics or to develop and improve it, where it is already known' . 63 In this regard, in a broader view of education, all the courses -the ones taught by MEC, the ones under state control or the extension course from UFRJ became non-formal learning. According to Paula Guimarães and Clarisse Faria-Fortecoëf, 64 the non-formal learning is characterized by being 'based on unique times and spaces for learning, as well as unique rules, content, pedagogic methods, etc., in which participation happens mainly on a voluntary basis' . In the Sports Science field, more specifically in the literature on coach learning, the researchers Lee Nelson, Christopher Cushion and Paul Potrac 65 suggest that non-formal learning, usually implemented in the form of courses, have a closer dialogue with the professional field. This is possible because, according to the same researchers, this is a more specific knowledge geared towards specific sub-groups of the general population, as per definition of this learning context. 66 Additionally, in a study with AG coaches in the 1970s in Brazil it was identified, in the accounts of the coaches, the importance of non-formal learning as a complement of the knowledge acquired in college. 67 It is important to highlight that, according to Michel Milistetd, 68 'for many years, the coach learning in Brazil was characterized by empiricism and lack of scientific basis' . Therefore, experience in the field and an athlete or a coach prevailed, as well as a higher appreciation for people who performed internationally, as was the case of Ilona Peuker.
Furthermore, Ilona Peuker's courses contributed to the certification of 'multiplier coaches' , called that way for multiplying her knowledge by passing it on to other gymnasts and coaches, something that happens until the present day. In this respect, there are Brazilian studies that present interviews of coaches who mention having participated in these courses and, thus, became key players in broadcasting the modality to many regions of Brazil. 69 The interviewees Artemis Soares and Geny Cursio are examples of 'multiplier coaches' . Artemis Soares brought gymnastics to the Universidade Federal do Amazonas -UFAM (Federal University of Amazonas) in the Northern Region of Brazil where she is currently a tenured professor. 70 According to Bonine Brito, 71 she 'was one of the first people to study Rhythmic Gymnastics related topics at postgraduate level' , becoming a reference both for the state of Amazonas and at national level. In addition to these accomplishments, she also became a coach, coming in second in the national school championship; she was one of the founders of the Amazonense Gymnastics Federation; and president of the scientific committee of the Confederação Brasileira de Ginástica -CBG (Brazilian Gymnastics Federation). 72 Geny Curcio instructed courses that were taught based on the first certification courses of Ilona Peuker at UFRJ, shown in Figure 3. 73 During our interview, she recounted teaching children and women in schools and universities, specifically at the Sports and Physical Education Center in the Federal University of Espírito Santo (northeast region of Brazil). 74 Four former gymnasts of the GUG also deserve emphasis for filling an important role in the history of RG in Brazil. Both continued their careers as coaches, carrying on the gymnastics started by Ilona Peuker in the state of Rio de Janeiro: Daisy Barros, Geísa Bernardes, Elisa Maria Jardim and Vera Miranda. Before we speak about their careers paths, it's important to mention that these former gymnasts learned to be coaches during their daily activities in the gymnasium with Ilona Peuker than in other learning environments. Guimarães and Faria-Fortecoëf define this process as non-formal learning, 'that encompasses non-intentional situations, with little to no planning, programming or structure, from which it is possible to develop learning' . 76 In this regard, Nelson, Cushion and Potrac add that a coach's learning is influenced by a complex mix of formal, non-formal, informal, directed or in self-directed experiences, developing largely through unplanned (unexpected) routes. 77 So, in a historically hard moment for the promulgation of knowledge, and even a lack of specific knowledge of sports (including the gymnastics), being an athlete guaranteed a comprehensive technical expertise, and this didn't happen in Brazil only. According to Pierre Trudel and Wade Gilbert, 78 it is difficult to say for certain where the larger scale coach education originated, but they suggest that it is possible to find traces that British sports regulating agencies had already developed programs for coaches in the middle of the twentieth century. Still, different sources quoted by the same authors also mention the National Coaching Certification Program/NCCP as the pioneer in adopting a program for coaches in the mid 70s.
With respect to these four gymnasts of the GUG, we established that the interviewee Daisy Barros presented a career trajectory that contributed in a significant way to the national RG. Apart from her career as a gymnast, she was an important coach that instructed the National Team for 14 years, winning several international championships, as mentioned not only on her own website but in the tribute paid to her by the CBG in their segment 'Memórias de Ouro' ('Golden Memories'). 79 The interviewee Laura Monteiro recounts the programs for promotion of the modality (organized by MEC) taught by her coach Daisy Barros and her team's gymnasts: 'I taught many courses alongside Daisy, we were part of the coaching staff with Daisy. So, she would go to coach these courses all over the country and we would go (with her) […] from the North to the South.' This excerpt makes us think that, in the same way that Ilona Peuker took her gymnasts to her courses, in turn, when becoming coaches, these gymnasts also adopted the same strategy to disseminate the modality across the country.
The interviewee Geísa Bernardes, another former gymnast and coach trained by Ilona Peuker, actively collaborated to the continuity of the latter 's work. According to her testimonies, 80 she taught the 'II Modern Gymnastics Course' , held in the city The former gymnasts Elisa Maria Jardim and Vera Miranda made history as coaches who trained gymnasts performing at international level. Elisa Maria Jardim was the coach of interviewee Rosane Favilla, the first Brazilian gymnast to compete Rhythmic Sports Gymnastics at the Olympic Games (Los Angeles, 1984), the first year of this modality in the Olympic programme as individual events. 82 Vera Miranda coached gymnasts who represented Brazil in the Rhythmic Sports Gymnastics World Championship in 1983, like the interviewees Maria Luiza Santos and Laura Monteiro, and was also Favilla's coach as the gymnast was finishing her career. 83 In addition, Vera Miranda's career, as a gymnast and then coach, is highlighted in the Brazilian newspaper 'Jornal dos Sports', 84 with the standfirst 'Vera, respectful gymnast and coach' , alongside an article about Ilona Peuker's contribution to Modern Gymnastics in Brazil, standfirst 'Ilona Peuker is the biggest supporter' (Figure 4).
We have to stress that this chain promotion, ruled by mass dissemination, but above all, founded in the exchange of knowledge between coach and gymnast (non-formal learning), crossed generations and should be considered when thinking about the history of RG in Brazil. In this matter, Frossard complements that: Ilona Peuker left an invaluable legacy to Brazil and, to the people that coaching with her, the legacy was even more significant. Today, the Brazilian RG has a lot of international praise and the majority of coaches in the country was once her gymnast, her gymnast's gymnast or a gymnast of a gymnast that was once her student. 86 This statement is supported by information gained in the authors' interviews that encompasses the eight Brazilian gymnasts that fought for a spot in the Olympics through the decades. When we cross reference the data, we see that all of the gymnast mentioned that the coaches that were part of their careers (coming from different Brazilian states) had roots in Ilona Peuker's coaching because they were influenced, directly or indirectly, by the GUG and/or by the specialization courses taught around the country. 87 The interview Laura Monteiro, a former gymnast of Vera Miranda, states: 'We were not pioneers, because the pioneers came from Ilona's group, like Daisy and Vera. They were the pioneers in Brazil, but we came right after right! '. 88 About this, Ilona Peuker says that: Brazil already has excellent gymnastics coaches that, with their deep technical knowledge and with their relentless work, promoted and perfected Modern Gymnastics in the country. The majority of the coaches work for state and private schools, coaching courses in Rio and other states by request. Some of them have performance groups, showcasing the success of their coaching. They create their own choreography when performing at annual state championships, and in that way they not only show their great work, but also encourage their peers and give them content for consistent and well developed practice. Today, they are gymnasts that show, in Brazil and internationally, the high level of Modern Gymnastics in Brazil achieved by us. 89 Ilona Peuker's influence took such great proportions that they keep echoing up to today, not only the knowledge that still circulates between coaches and gymnasts, but overt Brazilian culture shown in her work with gymnastics.

The Appropriation of Brazilian Culture in European Gymnastics: The Differential of a Visionary Coach
Several studies show how immigrants promoted gymnastics in Brazil bringing with them the culture and strict rules from their native countries. 90 On the other hand, in an example of Roland's Robertson's concept of globalisation, 91 Ilona Peuker allowed herself to learn about the culture of the country that embraced her and used it in Mrs. Ilona cared about knowing about the physiology of the way we move in Brazil, that immediately captivated her. She studied Brazilian regional dances and rapidly absorbed movements and rhythms that later would be part of her choreography with ease of a person who was trained to accept natural movement as one of the main pillars of her coaching. 92 In fact, the contact with such great thinkers during her training years (especially Isadora Duncan, Dalcroze, Bode and Idla) could have been the connection when looking at her way of thinking. In one of the chapters of her book, the interviewee Bernardes points out that Ilona Peuker brought creative processes that were very interesting and innovative to the composition of her choreography: 'Training with Mrs. Ilona was a unique experience. Her creative process was both global and dynamic; she had her own method of conducting a training session, especially in the moments when she was creating new choreography' . 93 The same author mentioned how much she contributed to the personal growth of her gymnasts and coaches: ' A lot of what we learned with Mrs. Ilona we use, not only in the gym, but in our lives: methodology, discipline, creativity, perseverance and so many other qualities she instilled in each one of us. That is a common thread throughout all of her gymnasts' . 94 This type of testimony exemplifies the importance of the informal learning which happens in the exchange between trainers, not only in this historic moment, but up to the present day, as shown in different studies with the coaches. 95 However, it is important to pay attention to the issues that are already being discussed in high-performance gymnastics, like the relationship between coach and gymnast, and strict practices in training (traditionally originated from European trainers). According to the research of Barker-Ruchti and Tinning, 96 including elite AG gymnasts, the athletes' capacity to reflect about the sport and their experiences in it are limited by the 'culture' of training. The authors state that, in addition to seeing this relationship as an example of inequality as it reflects patriarchal structures, the Russian trainers studied adopted training strategies similar to military training that 'allowed them to dominate the gymnasts, ignore their needs, especially when they did not perform according to expectations, or abuse the athletes verbally.' 97 In addition to Bernardes's account, we have also established that all the other former gymnasts interviewed for this article expressed appreciation to the training methods used by their coaches, without thinking critically about the conduct of the coaches during training. Thus, in the same way that, according to Foucault, 98 hard work is seen as a necessary quality in a capitalist society, these athletes are also conditioned to believe that arduous training is the only way to achieve a spot in the Olympic Games, the most aspired event in gymnastics. A situation very similar to the studies done with high-performance artistic gymnasts that defend exhaustive and repetitive training as essential to success in the sport. 99 In addition, when analyzing our interviews we saw that the close relationship, that resembles a parental one in this context of 'everyday living in the gymnasium' , facilitates the portraying of the coach as a 'father figure' , as described by Lotte Rose, 100 that protects and guides their gymnasts, can impair both the gymnasts and the coaches judgment about hierarchical and abusive behaviors that perpetuate without thinking. This is an important discussion because, when we consider Ilona Peuker as a pioneer in RG in Brazil, the structure of European training implemented and promoted by her has a strong influence in the RG practiced in Brazil.
In her training sessions, Ilona Peuker appropriated elements of the Brazilian culture for rhythmic development, so important for this modality. In our interview, Geny Curcio recounts that Ilona Peuker's courses showed her new possibilities for gymnastics, like the use of non-traditional props, known as alternative apparatus, usually related to Brazilian culture. She also says she learned to use tambourines for musical timing, for choreography and other activities, that is, to use elements of the national culture (like samba) for the practice of gymnastics. 101 According to Franciny Dias,102 the use of coconuts shells present in Ilona Peuker's courses and choreographies was inspired by the first time the coach got in touch with this material, so common in the Brazilian culture, in the state of Espírito Santo ( Figure 5).
On the other hand, even though it is a musical instrument that is part of Brazilian culture, it is possible that the use of the tambourine did not come from Brazil. According to Grégory Quin, 104 Professor Rudolf Bode introduced the use of 'rhythmic devices' , like the tambourine to practice rhythm, and promoted his method across Europe. Therefore, if we consider that Ilona Peuker was his student, she could have brought to Brazil her technique with this prop and gymnastics movements, but also used samba to create the rhythm used in her Brazilian choreography ( Figure 6).
Since then, these alternative props had been part of her courses, including her gymnastics choreography for demonstrations in festivals across Brazil. The interviewee Nestor Soares Públio mentions that the GUG was always a reference (for being so innovative) in the national gymnastics festivals organized by the Paulista Gymnastics Federation. 106 'Brazilianess' and innovation! That was what the Brazilian team, led by Ilona Peuker showed in international events. She also led the Brazilian performance in the Modern Gymnastics World Championship, Daisy Barros' performance in the individual events in 1967 (Copenhagen) and again as a team in 1973 (Rotterdam). 107 This deduction was a shock to the Brazilian Team because Ilona Peuker's training was known for its creativity, which was apparent in her choreography as they were all prominent in the aspect of originality. However, Bernardes continues, 109 it was interesting that in the following World Championship, held in Spain, several teams had the start of their series in exactly the same manner: one group of gymnasts starting the movements before the others. This example shows the type of innovation that Mrs. Ilona brought to gymnastics and that it would be later adopted by other teams, both national and international.
In addition to these official Modern Gymnastics events, Ilona Peuker's team also performed in GFA showcase events like the World Gymnaestrada. To participate in championships and demonstrations of this magnitude propelled the promotion of Brazilian culture on the world stage and contributed to the international recognition of the type of gymnastics that was being practiced in Brazil. The 'Brazilianess' happened with the choice of traditional music, alternative props (coconut shells and tambourines), specific movements and traditional clothing from Brazilian folklore, as shown in Figure 7.
According to Frossard,111 the Brazilian National Team led by Ilona Peuker attended several World Gymnaestradas, in which her first participation, that happened at the II World Gymnaestrada (Zagreb − 1957), was defined by the success of the innovations she presented: 'the rhythm of the Brazilian music and the use of unconventional instruments, like coconut shells, and claps. ' The article from newspaper 'Jornal do Brasil' (June 06, 1957), that announced the gymnasts' trib to Zagreb, highlighted they we to the Conselho Nacional de Desportos (National Sports Council) to do a presentation about the event, and to, because they were looking for sponsors, show the benefits that the presence of the GUG would bring to the country. The article also says that 'the representatives will be simply 12 gymnasts, physical education teachers and another three coaches who are going as observers to, when back, apply in their schools what they have learned during the performances' , 112 emphasizing that the attendance in events was also important for the promotion of the modality in the country.
In her biography, Ilona Peuker recounts how the Brazilian culture present in her choreography enchanted international audiences in Zagreb and opened the doors to other opportunities: The success of the Brazilian team was indescribable, the press and cameraman ran after our crew, the police had to protect us from the crowds asking for autographs […] the lines at the theater's box office to buy tickets for our performance, numbers they had only seen in soccer games. I will never forget that our country had the honor of being the only one to repeat its performance 4 times, and I will also never forget that, accepting my invitation, Professor Bode come to our lodging with his assistant, to coaching my group a small movement class, and that I was the only person, other than the ones already invited, asked to attend the reception offered by the Austrian Ambassador. 113 It is valid to mention that Ilona Peuker and her Olympic medalist Austrian Team had already attended the first World Gymnaestrada, held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in 1953. 114 Therefore, we can consider that not only this exposure given to the Brazilian team but also the opportunity her students had to meet Rudolf Bode could have been a direct outcome of the recognition of the coach in Europe. In this respect, Frossard complements that in the IV Gymnaestrada (1961): Coach Ilona Peuker was awaited with tremendous anticipation in Austria, a country where she was well known in the gymnastics world and where she had been a world champion. The success of the performances of the Brazilian team exceeded all expectations and the United Gymnasts Group (Grupo Unido de Ginastas -GUG) was acclaimed in all of its performances. 115 In the next edition, V World Gymnaestrada (1969), says Frossard, the GUG 'with its work well-known in Gymnaestradas, had larger stands built in the places they were performing, such was the influx of audiences' . 116 The 1975 edition was the last World Gymnaestrada that Ilona Peuker attended as a coach, in which he group 'had the honor to be invited by FIG representatives to perform, with prominence, in the closing ceremony of the VI World Gymnaestrada with the programme 'Rapsódia Brasileira'. 117 The Figure 8 shows the official RG apparatus (ribbon, balls and ropes) used in this performance in Berlin, and includes the alternative apparatus 'reco-reco' , idiophone instrument of African origin brought to Brazilian culture (in samba circles and capoeira), as seen in the first picture on the left. 118 According to Quin, 120 before being recognized by FIG in 1961, Modern Gymnastics was 'sampled' for the first time at the World Gymnaestrada in the form of a showcase. Therefore, the use of these official RG apparatus in World Gymnaestrada helped Modern Gymnastics to establish itself and gain popularity, especially if we consider groups, like Ilona Peuker's, that showed specific characteristics of the modality as the foundation for their choreography.
As stated by Frossard, 121  Supporting this statement, in our interviews, the former gymnast Favilla states that Ilona Peuker observed some of her team's training sessions, 'Mrs. Ilona was always there to take a look, removed some elements, included others, changed, added, gave her opinion. She was always well respected by everyone, by all her little pupils'. 122 Favilla also says that the coach watched one of her performances in the individual events in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984.
The interviewee Bernardes 123 recounts having coordinated Grupo Ilona Peuker -GIP (Ilona Peuker Group), founded in June 25, 1998, three years after her passing. According to her, the group was created by Peuker's former gymnasts and acclaimed as the first RG master team in Brazil. The GIP performed an homage to Ilona Peuker at the XI World Gymnaestrada in Gothenburg, Sweden (1999) in an event called 'Brazilian Night' . This was an important and emblematic moment both for Brazil and for other countries that were present in this event, since Ilona Peuker has left a well-known international legacy, especially in Hungary, Austria and Germany.
In this sense, we considered that the GUG had an important role in the promotion of a more Brazilian RG, leading also the establishment of the GFA. Eliana de Toledo points out that it is possible to identify a huge landmark of Ilona Peuker for the development of the GFA from her experience and achievements in the RG: …it is in this landscape, apparently dominated by women gradually developing a gymnastics modality, that doubts start to emerge about women empowerment and protagonism, including to promote other possibilities in the practice of gymnastics, beyond the ones already highlights by the European methods or by some turned into sports (like the then called Olympic and modern rhythmic gymnastics). 124 In this same view, Bernardes mentions how magnificent Ilona Peuker's role was, beyond being a good coach: 'Mrs. Ilona was a coach with a strong personality and a fantastic vision of the future, always innovating and creating over and above her time' . 125

The Brazilian Legacy of Coach Ilona Peuker
For Brazil, the coach Ilona Peuker not only introduced and promoted Modern Gymnastics, but opened doors so that the Brazilian team could participate and perform in international events. The recognition of her international career in Europe certainly favored that countries with a tradition in Gymnastics could notice the Brazilian performance. Throughout the article we highlighted that Ilona Peuker led in Brazil: the creation of the GUG, the first Modern Gymnastics team; coach developer that became reference in the Brazilian RG; coaching the first gymnasts in Brazil with international presence, both in individual (1967) and team events (1973); the development of several qualification courses all over the country, including books, articles, handbooks and manuals on Modern Gymnastics; the organization and execution of the first national championships (the national championship that pays tribute to the coach is named 'Campeonato Brasileiro Loterias Caixa de Ginástica Rítmica -Ilona Peuker'); the use of alternative props originated in Brazilian culture (coconut shells and tambourines) to rhythmic training and her choreography; the use of music and movements distinctive of Brazilian culture in RG choreography; the exposure of the Brazilian team in gymnastics performance and championships (at national and international level); and the initial incentive for the practice of GFA in Brazil.
Reflecting on her accomplishments on Brazilian soil, Ilona Peuker ends her autobiography with these words: Backtracking and looking at the Brazilian path in my career, I have to confess that I am satisfied! I do not regret declining the interesting invitation I received at the World Gymnaestrada to coach abroad; I do not regret having the courage to start Modern Gymnastics in Brazil; I do not regret not allowing myself to be disheartened and bow under the adversities presented. I do not regret because, above all, I have the great joy of feeling that 'our gymnastics' won! It cannot be erased from Brazil anymore, especially if you, my dear gymnasts, show in the future as much attention and devotion as you have done until now. Here it ends. It is time for me to offer these words, with all of my love and gratitude, and at the same time put in your hands my beloved gymnastics, with the absolute certainty that you will continue to serve it, love it and glorify it. 126