Synchronised Swimming (Imagine)

Stella Motion Pictures

We ask a simple question: is Synchronised Swimming Art or Sport? #SynchronisedSwimming #Imagine

Transcript

00:00Third Siege

00:30When people mention synchronised swimming, they talk about Esther Williams and the fabulous

00:43films of the 40s, but the art form actually originated in Australia.

00:47It is now also, of course, an Olympic sport.

00:50So how did the sport and the art form meet?

00:53Well, it was very difficult to get synchronised swimming recognised as a sport in the first

00:58place.

00:58So therefore, yes, there are a lot of problems involved, but slowly people need to be aware

01:08of the fact that there is an artistic side to the sport and this is what we are trying

01:14to present.

01:15I think of all my swimmers as dancers purely, not so much athletes.

01:19I'm trying to basically turn an athlete into a performer.

01:23When we work with music, of course, we have restrictions as far as transitions, how long it's going to

01:32take from one move to the next.

01:34And, of course, how long the girls can hold their breath is another thing.

01:41Ideally, you have to train at least four hours a day if you can get a full time.

01:47Well, you have to stay under the water without taking a breath for probably a minute.

01:52You started doing that in Russia.

01:54Is it a big sport there?

01:56It wasn't a big sport when I started, but it grew up because of the different system.

02:02The government supports all kinds of sports, so it was actually easier for any kind of sport

02:07to survive.

02:08I think it's part sport, part art, because it has both elements of both, it's as hard as

02:16any sport, and it's not as beautiful as any art.

02:35As long as you work on it, I think we can do almost anything, and probably even better,

02:41because we kind of have the weightlessness.

02:44The boys are very exciting in the water.

02:46If we could see a few more males in there, we could really get going with duets and that

02:50sort of thing.

02:51Where are all the boys?

02:53I don't know.

03:07I'm not sure how slowly you're supposed to be doing that.

03:12Every swoop is rocking you.

03:15Okay, let's leave that one and do the next one.

03:21People in competitive synchronised swimming have got to be very careful, not only the coaches,

03:28but the judges as well.

03:30If routines get too showy, let people say, hey, hey, you're not to do it.

03:36You're to take off the Spangles off your bathing costumes, and you're not allowed to put accessories

03:42on your costumes.

03:43Anything that donates a show, because it is a sport.

03:46Annette Kellerman, she's an Australian a long time ago, probably started synchronised swimming

04:01off on its feet.

04:02She would actually get in a tank as a mermaid, one of them of which was held on the site

04:07of where the Arts Centre is now.

04:12There aren't very many pools around that are of a decent depth for the girls once they

04:17get to a certain standard.

04:18Usually it's a diving pool that we're working in, so therefore we have divers coming into

04:22the pool at the same time.

04:24At the moment we're using the clubs from Victoria.

04:30We have very few girls that do synchronised swimming, and all of them at the moment are

04:35into competition.

04:36There should be an area where recreational swimmers can come in and do something like

04:41this.

04:48Spoons have taken on a whole new significance in this sport.

04:51That's correct.

04:52Can you just tell me what you do with your spoons?

04:53When I came back from overseas and started to get into this, I really had no idea what

05:00this was for.

05:01I saw this spoon being tapped on the side of the pool, but it actually gives them a rhythm.

05:06If we don't have the underwater speaker, something's not working right, and we'll use the spoon and

05:11tap the rhythm on the side of the pool for them.

05:14That way, Amber.

05:15You better watch out.

05:16You better not cry.

05:17Better not pout.

05:18I'm telling you why.

05:19Santa Claus is coming to town.

05:22He's making a list and he's checking it twice.

05:26He's gonna find out who's been naughty and nice.

05:35Santa Claus is coming to town.

05:36He's making a list and he's checking it twice.

05:39He's gonna find out who's been naughty and nice.

05:43Santa Claus is coming to town.

05:49Santa Claus is coming to town.

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