there have been different elements that are nowadays considered to be part of partner acrobatics but there hasn't been a genre, art or sport called partner acrobatics . The first examples for 2 persons doing acrobatics on one of each other known to me are all from Chinese Han Dynasty (200 bc to 200 ac). This is one example http://www.absolutechinatours.com/UploadFiles/ImageBase/acrobatics-china-han-dynasty(2).jpg some more can be found in the book chinese acrobatics through the ages from Fu Qifeng which is also my main source. Another example of early acrobatics would be the pole acrobatics that also originated in china around the time of the han dynasty and soon spread throughout asia (primarily india and japan but probably a lot more) Unlike most chinese poles today these were not fixed to the ground but balanced on the head of the base while the "flyer" climbed the pole and did tricks on it. http://www.absolutechinatours.com/UploadFiles/ImageBase/china-acrobatics-in-ancient-time.jpg . This would not be considered partner acrobatics today but is proof that the concept of one human doing tricks on top of another was known as early as 500 bc. Another example would be human pyramids. I remember seeing stone carvings of human pyramids from asia and according to Oeconomische Encyklopädie, oder allgemeines System der Staats-, Stadt-, Haus- und Landwirthschaft from Georg Krünitz human pyramids have also been known to the romans (it is not clear here if the romans have been performing pyramids themselves or if what i believe to be more likely saw groups of travelling performers). So we know that elements of partner acrobatics have been around for at least 2000 years but when did it become a genre ? The important timeframe here would be between 18th and 20th century. At the end of the 18th century the first asian performers have been imported to europe to show their exotic skills where they quickly were copied by european performers (Karl Rappo would be the most important one here). Suddenly the acrobatic techniques of india, japan and china got mixed up with the acrobatic cultures that survived through the middle ages in europe creating an endless number of new different acts. I am not sure if there is any got books on acrobatics but the development was similar to that of juggling which is described very well in Karl Heinz Ziethens Juggling: the past and future. In the progress of specialisation the differentiation between the term acrobatics, magic, juggling and dance begann. Before the 20th century these terms were used very loosely and a juggler could have meant everything from juggler, magician, rope dancer etc while a tumbler might as well be dancing, doing handstands or partner acrobatics. The other important thing was the uprising of gym culture (Turnerbewegung in germany) which happily adopted the new techniques but put them in a competitive environment and transformed the art into a sport.