split / balancing act
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split
A gymnastics or dance exercise in which the legs are stretched in opposite directions so that they form a straight line.
Die Turnerin beendete ihre Kür mit einem perfekten Spagat.
The gymnast ended her routine with a perfect split.
balancing act
In a figurative sense, the difficult attempt to reconcile two opposing or hard-to-combine demands, interests, or positions.
Für die Ministerin ist der Kompromiss ein politischer Spagat zwischen den Interessen der Wirtschaft und dem Umweltschutz.
For the minister, the compromise is a political balancing act between the interests of business and environmental protection.
In a sports context, the most common combination is 'einen Spagat machen' (to do the splits). Alternatively, you can also say that someone 'einen Spagat kann' (can do the splits) or 'einen Spagat lernt' (is learning to do the splits).
Nicht jeder kann ohne Training einen Spagat machen.
Not everyone can do the splits without training.
In the figurative meaning, 'Spagat' (balancing act) is almost always used in the structure 'der Spagat zwischen [thing A] und [thing B]' (the balancing act between [thing A] and [thing B]). This describes the challenge of combining two opposites.
Viele Eltern kennen den täglichen Spagat zwischen Beruf und Familie.
Many parents know the daily balancing act between work and family.
You can recognize the figurative meaning from the fact that it is about balancing abstract things such as 'Interessen' (interests), 'Anforderungen' (demands), or 'Rollen' (roles). The context is often politics, business, or private life.
Die Regierung versucht den Spagat zwischen Sparen und Investieren.
The government is attempting the balancing act between saving and investing.
