WEBVTT

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This is synchronized swimming, graceful, rhythmic, creative.

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It combines all the fun of water sport with all the beauty and expression of the dance.

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Watch the controlled movement, the smooth, effortless way she glides through the water,

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it's not. But if you can paddle across the old swimming hole and back, you can learn.

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All it takes is practice and patience and practice. Let's go back and see exactly

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where ordinary swimming ends and synchronized swimming begins. Here's the old familiar front

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crawl, only now it has a beat and a new precision. In a word, it's synchronized. Keep her head high,

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face visible at all times. Hold your feet low in the water. And the synchronized backstroke,

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head up, feet lowered. Don't splash, save that for water fights. The breaststroke is a good

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stroke for adding variety to synchronized routines. It's relaxed and graceful. Remember,

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head above water at all times. Here is the inverted breaststroke, especially useful in

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hybrids or strokes that combine two or more standards.

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The delicate side stroke has a new flair, and so does the overarm side stroke. As you see,

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no basic changes have been made to any of the strokes except for keeping the head held high

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and the feet low. They are simply good, basic swimming strokes at a slower, synchronized pace.

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No, we're not playing hooky, at least not without a purpose. This lazy figure eight

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motion describes one of the most important techniques of synchronized swimming, the art

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of sculling. Sculling is simply a means of getting around a pool with a least visible

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effort and with a maximum of grace. Here's how it looks in the water. This is called headfirst

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sculling because you're moving headfirst. The figure eight motion is rapid but smooth

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and continuous. Keep your head high, feet just below water surface. Here's a fisheye view in

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motion. See how the fingers point upward. Propeller sculling is just that. Hands overhead act as

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propellers. The same rapid figure eight motion, only now the fingers point toward the pool bottom.

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For going the other way, use footfirst sculling. It's identical to headfirst,

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hands between waist and hips except the fingers are pointing down. And this is canoe sculling.

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Here the fingers point forward and down. Again the smooth and steady figure eight motion. Actually

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the only difference in sculling methods is in positioning your hands and fingers.

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A student of synchronized swimming must learn many stunts, for stunts provide the basis of all

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choreography in competitive synchronized swimming. And since good position is essential to do good

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stunts, our first three will be in slow motion so that we can pay particular attention to body

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position. First the dolphin. All dolphins and all dolphin variations must describe a circle,

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head and heels following the same line. See the perfect body alignment, legs straight and together,

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toes pointed. End your dolphin by assuming the original layout position. The purpose begins in

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a front layout, a sweep of the arms and you're on the way to vertical position. In all vertical

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stunts the body must be one straight line, no arch in the back and watch the head doesn't tilt.

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The back tuck somersault shows correct position for all tuck somersaults. Sit on your heels and

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touch your nose with your knees. Keep the tuck tight throughout. This position is also very good

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for sleeping in a small bed. The most perfect position in the world is useless unless you know

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what to do with it. So now let's concentrate on execution. Since a few of our stunts do not show

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starting or finishing positions, just check your handbook for these. Your AAU handbook of course.

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Now we begin with the front pike somersault. Arms sweep forward as the body bends sharply at the

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tips in a pike. The entire rotation is executed as close to the water surface as you can make it.

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The front tuck somersault. Remember keep knees to nose and your tuck as tight as possible.

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And here is the back tuck somersault at normal speed. A seemingly effortless turn,

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a smooth recovery. In all somersaults one arm sweep is rated the perfect propelling stroke.

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For the split porpoise make sure that maximum height is maintained while the legs are brought

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together. Height is the goal in all porpoise stunts. Here is an excellent example of vertical position.

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From a side layout arm extended make one complete body revolution for the corkscrew. Champagne anyone?

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The tub is a variation of the tuck. Keep the lower part of your legs on the water surface.

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Revolve at least once in a horizontal plane by sculling. It's a great way for getting around

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corners. Have an oyster? Hips bend sharply. Fingers touch toes and plop.

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If you get short of breath during a routine simply execute a marlin.

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One complete revolution constitutes a marlin turn. It's also very handy for position changes.

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When you walk around in circles in the water you're doing a water wheel. Keep your head as pivot point.

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With a body in an arched side position, top arm extended overhead, you have the shark.

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Scull vigorously and keep the body traveling in a circle. No kicking allowed. If you're trying

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this in the ocean you better warn other swimmers first.

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To prepare for the ballet leg stunts, practice moving through the water. First lifting one foot to knee then the other.

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When you can do that with ease then extend the leg to perpendicular. Lifting it as high as you can. One leg.

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Then the other. Keep those hips up. This is called the single ballet leg.

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The ballet leg submarine is merely a continuation of the ballet leg. Drop beneath the surface,

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keeping a 90 degree angle between leg and back. Then return. What sailor wouldn't love sighting this ferris scope?

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Now let's branch out and try a few variations. The flying dolphin starts with a push off from

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the pool bottom. Drive out of the water, arch the back into a regular dolphin.

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Dolphin bent knee. Maintain a steady sculling motion.

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This is the dolphin ballet leg. Feet come together just before you submerge,

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then execute a regular dolphin. Head aligned, back arched, and a smooth even circle.

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The porpoise dolphin begins as a porpoise. Arch the body, returning to the surface on the back.

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Then into a dolphin.

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And finish in a layout position on the face.

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The front flip also begins as a porpoise. Throw the feet across the water surface,

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propeller sculling up and finishing on the back.

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The back pike somersault. Keep your pike as tight as possible.

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Head and feet should break surface at the same time.

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Pull one knee up for the back pike somersault, bent knee.

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Complete the stunt by lowering the knee and returning to layout position.

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In the somersub, a front pike somersault is broken as the legs rise to a vertical position.

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Hold momentarily, then finish as in a single ballet leg.

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The front walkover. From a pike position, raise the legs one at a time, high as you can over the

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surface, then together as you surface on the back. Go into a tight dolphin for a back walkover,

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then raise the legs high one at a time. Keep your circle as small as possible, hips high.

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Remember all the stunts you've seen require practice. Diligent, constant practice.

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For only practice makes perfect synchronized swimming.