By Michael Reckord, Contributor
Members of the Island Acquatics Synchro Club in performance. - Ricardo Makyn / Staff Photographer
WATER 'BALLERINAS' try not to make waves during their performance; smooth, gliding movements which don't disturb the surface of the water is the objective.
On the other hand, they do want to make a splash, figuratively speaking.
The Island Aquatics Synchro Club, Jamaica's only synchronised swimming club, did neither in their water ballet presentation, "Razzle Dazzle," at the National Stadium Swimming Pool on Sunday. That the 26 or so performers were able to swim/dance with easy grace was a tribute to their incipient skill; that they caused no real excitement in the 60-odd strong audience is a sign they have much to learn.
YOUNG
Learning will undoubtedly continue to take place. For one thing, the club is young. It started in September 1998 with 14 swimmers. It is growing, now having 35 members.
They are divided into four groups, Dolphins (aged 16-18 years), Minnows (14-15 years, on average), Squids (8-10 years) and Sprats (8-9 years). The members of the groups swam together Sunday, though not all group members performed. Not surprisingly, the older swimmers were the most impressive.
The 15 items were jointly choreographed by head coach/ founder Kathy Lim Sang and the swimmers, with the help of assistant coaches Amanda Eyre, Emily Eyre and Michelle McIntyre.
Founder Lim Sang, who also designed the girls' attractive swimwear, said that the group has been working on the pieces from September. It takes, she said, "three weeks to two months" to choreograph a piece.
DIFFERENCE
She spoke of the difference between performing in competition (with the judges on all sides of the pool) and "show-swimming," with the audience on one side, as on Sunday. She also mentioned the importance of performers completing figures they have started and of their gracefulness in presentations.
Dolphins Rochelle Foster and Michela Lee were among those who came closest to fulfilling these requirements and their item, Dance & Shout, got enthusiastic applause. The duo were, in fact, Silver medallists in the 200 Caribbean Island Swim Championships held in Aruba. They earned this distinction, said their coach, after only two-and-a half years of synchronized swimming.
On the whole, the crowdpleasers were the group, rather than the solo or duo, items. This is not surprising, for the range of individual movements that can be performed is relatively small (compared to stage ballet). With many bodies to work with, a choreographer can create elaborate patterns in the water; and getting many hands or legs moving in synchronicity above water is always thrilling.
One of the pleasures of the afternoon show -- which lasted for an hour-and-a-half -- was the variety of music to which the "ballerinas" danced. The title of the following pieces suggest the musical styles heard: Swing, Latin Mix, Bold as Bond (music from James Bond films), Biala, Biala! and Brazillia. There was also dancehall, classical and pop music.
GREATEST SUCCESSES
The enthusiastic emcee, Helen Eyre, an international judge for the sport, expressed the hope that other synchronised swimming clubs would be formed in Jamaica, pointing out that athletes thrive on competition. She also said that one of the club's greatest successes was the fielding of a full team of 17 swimmers at the 2003 CARIFTA Swimming Championships held in Jamaica.
