The sport of Aesthetic Group Gymnastics is governed by the International Federation of Aesthetic Group Gymnastics (IFAGG), established in October 2003. The sport has been recognised internationally since 1996 when Helsinki hosted the first competitive event. The origin goes back as far as ancient Greece. There are some similarities to Rhythmic Gymnastics, but the significant difference is a larger team often consisting of up to 10 gymnasts. For schools the teams are even larger. A further difference is the emphasis on big and continuous body movements. There is no use of apparatus, but instead the focus of the sport is on physical attributes where the rhythmic movements of the body are emphasized to produce an aesthetic appeal through the flow and expression of the athletes. Further important attributes are flexibility, balance, speed, strength and coordination. As the participation is a team event, a good performance is judged on the group performing various body movements simultaneously and uniformly. The movements include dance steps, lifts, jumps, body waves and swings. The size of the competition area, performed on a gymnastics carpet, is 13 metres by 13 metres. Judging is done by a jury consisting of three judge panels assessing the areas of technical, artistic and execution.  

IFAGG manage the sport worldwide and oversee international competitions like Continental Championships and World Championships. These are A-category competitions, while B-category competitions are mainly for children. The sport has a growing international presence with the biggest participation in Finland.