This is Synchronized Swimming

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This is synchronized swimming, graceful, rhythmic, creative.

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

Watch the controlled movement, the smooth, effortless way she glides through the water, it's not.

But if you can paddle across the old swimming hole and back, you can learn.

All it takes is practice and patience and practice.

Let's go back and see exactly where ordinary swimming ends and synchronized swimming begins.

Here's the old familiar front crawl, only now it has a beat and a new precision.

In a word, it's synchronized.

Keep her head high, face visible at all times.

Hold your feet low in the water.

And the synchronized backstroke, head up, feet lowered.

Don't splash, save that for water fights.

The breaststroke is a good stroke for adding variety to synchronized routines.

It's relaxed and graceful.

Remember, head above water at all times.

Here is the inverted breaststroke, especially useful in hybrids or strokes that combine two or more standards.

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

As you see, no basic changes have been made to any of the strokes except for keeping the head held high and the feet low.

They are simply good, basic swimming strokes at a slower, synchronized pace.

No, we're not playing hooky, at least not without a purpose.

This lazy figure eight motion describes one of the most important techniques of synchronized swimming, the art of sculling.

Sculling is simply a means of getting around a pool with a least visible effort and with a maximum of grace.

Here's how it looks in the water.

This is called headfirst sculling because you're moving headfirst.

The figure eight motion is rapid but smooth and continuous.

Keep your head high, feet just below water surface.

Here's a fisheye view in motion.

See how the fingers point upward.

Propeller sculling is just that.

Hands overhead act as propellers.

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

For going the other way, use footfirst sculling.

It's identical to headfirst, hands between waist and hips except the fingers are pointing down.

And this is canoe sculling.

Here the fingers point forward and down.

Again the smooth and steady figure eight motion.

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

A student of synchronized swimming must learn many stunts, for stunts provide the basis of all choreography in competitive synchronized swimming.

And since good position is essential to do good stunts, our first three will be in slow motion so that we can pay particular attention to body position.

First the dolphin.

All dolphins and all dolphin variations must describe a circle, head and heels following the same line.

See the perfect body alignment, legs straight and together, toes pointed.

End your dolphin by assuming the original layout position.

The purpose begins in a front layout, a sweep of the arms and you're on the way to vertical position.

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

The back tuck somersault shows correct position for all tuck somersaults.

Sit on your heels and touch your nose with your knees.

Keep the tuck tight throughout.

This position is also very good for sleeping in a small bed.

The most perfect position in the world is useless unless you know what to do with it.

So now let's concentrate on execution.

Since a few of our stunts do not show starting or finishing positions, just check your handbook for these.

Your AAU handbook of course.

Now we begin with the front pike somersault.

Arms sweep forward as the body bends sharply at the tips in a pike.

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

The front tuck somersault.

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

And here is the back tuck somersault at normal speed.

A seemingly effortless turn, a smooth recovery.

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

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

Height is the goal in all porpoise stunts.

Here is an excellent example of vertical position.

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

Champagne anyone? The tub is a variation of the tuck.

Keep the lower part of your legs on the water surface.

Revolve at least once in a horizontal plane by sculling.

It's a great way for getting around corners.

Have an oyster? Hips bend sharply.

Fingers touch toes and plop.

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

One complete revolution constitutes a marlin turn.

It's also very handy for position changes.

When you walk around in circles in the water you're doing a water wheel.

Keep your head as pivot point.

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

Scull vigorously and keep the body traveling in a circle.

No kicking allowed.

If you're trying this in the ocean you better warn other swimmers first.

To prepare for the ballet leg stunts, practice moving through the water.

First lifting one foot to knee then the other.

When you can do that with ease then extend the leg to perpendicular.

Lifting it as high as you can.

Then the other.

Keep those hips up.

This is called the single ballet leg.

The ballet leg submarine is merely a continuation of the ballet leg.

Drop beneath the surface, keeping a 90 degree angle between leg and back.

What sailor wouldn't love sighting this ferris scope? Now let's branch out and try a few variations.

The flying dolphin starts with a push off from the pool bottom.

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

Dolphin bent knee.

Maintain a steady sculling motion.

This is the dolphin ballet leg.

Feet come together just before you submerge, then execute a regular dolphin.

Head aligned, back arched, and a smooth even circle.

The porpoise dolphin begins as a porpoise.

Arch the body, returning to the surface on the back.

Then into a dolphin.

And finish in a layout position on the face.

The front flip also begins as a porpoise.

Throw the feet across the water surface, propeller sculling up and finishing on the back.

The back pike somersault.

Keep your pike as tight as possible.

Head and feet should break surface at the same time.

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

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

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

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

The front walkover.

From a pike position, raise the legs one at a time, high as you can over the surface, then together as you surface on the back.

Go into a tight dolphin for a back walkover, then raise the legs high one at a time.

Keep your circle as small as possible, hips high.

Remember all the stunts you've seen require practice.

Diligent, constant practice.

For only practice makes perfect synchronized swimming.

Date Of Production

1958

Abstract

Instructional film that demonstrates the basic strokes used in synchronized swimming and such routines as dolphin, porpoise, somersaults, corkscrew, water wheel, ballet leg, shark, front flip, bent knee and front and back walkover.

Format

16mm

Extent

450 feet

Color

Color

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Distribution Print

Genre

Instructional

Form

Short

Subject

Swimming

Related Collections

Chicago Public Library Collection

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ California ➜ Hollywood

Main Credits

Cardan, Helen M. (is producer)

Kahn, Richard (is director)

Additional Credits

MacKellar, Lillian (is contributor)

Baker, Brydon (is cinematographer)

Fisher, Victor (is contributor)

DeAtley, Murray (camera)

Newman, Leonard (camera)

Peterson, Pete (camera)

DeAtley, Murray (is editor)

McCoin, Bedford Jr. (is writer)

Participants And Performers

Niles, Wendell (is narrator)

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