Synchronized Swimming: Dive into the Art of Aquatic Dance

Synchronized swimming may seem effortless when done well, but the sport requires an intricate combination of ballet, swimming, and acrobatics to master.

Furthermore, performing twists and toe points as well as lifting teammates requires strength that cannot be easily found elsewhere.

Minisini and May may have missed an Olympic opportunity in Paris, yet have made history as the first men ever to compete in the artistic swimming competition.

Artistic swimming

Synchronized swimmers make water appear graceful and effortless with perfectly pointed toes and rhythmic ripples they create, but beneath this glamorous exterior lies an immense amount of strength required for those spending up to six hours per day in the pool.

Lifting teammates directly out of the water, doing splits, and performing flips requires immense strength while they rely on hot water mixed with gelatin to hold back hair during competition – this requires an exceptionally strong makeup routine which includes waterproof mascara.

Artistic swimmers spend up to 50% of their training in anapnea during dynamic exercise.

These underwater breath holds can cause elevated arterial blood pressure, bradycardia, and reduced diastolic filling velocity (possibly due to increased intrathoracic pressure) which in turn causes elevated arterial blood pressure, bradycardia, and bradycardia as well as possibly leading to elevated intrathoracic pressure; for the first time demonstrating how athletic training in aquatic sports leads to differential functional remodeling and adaptation.

Valosik spent an extensive amount of time conducting research for Swimming Pretty, visiting archives at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Florida, consulting experts from Harvard Theatre Collection and Ringling Circus Museum as well as interviewing a wide variety of women from swimming history including alumni, coaches and current athletes.

She spent a weekend at Wheaton College immersing herself into the life of its varsity synchro team to gain greater insight into what it takes to compete at national levels.

Exhibition swimming

Synchronized swimming is a sport that demands both finesse and strength. From perfectly pointed toes to graceful arms to having hair that stays put underwater, good synchronized swimmers appear effortless on stage.

But as Wheaton College graduate Addy Colona tells Allure magazine, master synchronized swimmer Addy Colona emphasizes, the sport incorporates ballet, swimming, acrobatics, and water polo all within itself, so perfecting this art takes extensive practice before any form can emerge on stage.

Colona notes that synchronized swimming routines are assessed based on several criteria, including choreography, interpretation of music interpretation, and presentation.

Makeup plays an integral role here and swimmers must use waterproof makeup that won’t run or smudge during their performance; she recommends Make Up For Ever products that stay put even when wet.

Synchronized swimming requires full face makeup; unlike dance and figure skating which require only minimal makeup.

Athletes must select waterproof mascaras that won’t flake off or smudge underwater – the ideal mascaras come equipped with an extender that prevents flaking or flaking of its contents underwater.

Sydney-based photographer Brad Walls has captured the art of synchronized swimming through his aerial series called “Water Geomaids.”

Walls’ photographs demonstrate how much thought, athleticism, and choreography goes into creating these captivating pictures.

Equipment

Synchronized swimmers require a nose clip to keep water out of their nostrils during performances, as this small plastic clip should go in through the nostril.

A swimmer also keeps gelatin handy so she can keep her hair in place during performances.

Synchronized swimming requires extraordinary strength to perform its complex routine of twists, toe points, splits, and lifting teammates that it entails.

As such, it can be very strenuous and difficult to master; yet athletes make it look effortless – something Valosik explores in her book.

Rules

Synchronized swimmers’ graceful moves may appear effortless on stage, but the sport requires years of practice in ballet, swimming, acrobatics, and water polo to perfect.

Addy Colona of the Freedom Valley Synchro Team shares with Allure that she needs many hours of training each day to perfect this form of aquatic gymnastics.

Synchronized swimmers need to stay underwater for longer to maintain their endurance, which can put a strain on their hearts.

Researchers investigated how synchronized swimmers respond to breath holding while performing routines and found that trained synchronized swimmers experience lower heart rates during recovery from breath holding than non-trained women; additionally, results of sequences where short BH periods were performed before long ones were also compared with each other.

Results revealed that synchronized swimmers experienced less cardiovascular stress during recovery from shorter breathing trials, suggesting they are better adapted to this form of breathing.

On the contrary, longer BH trials were associated with higher PETCO2 levels and greater ventilatory response across trained and untrained women, suggesting their effects may depend on when they are conducted.