Synchronized swimming team to perform at Midnight Madness
Elizabeth Snyder
Issue date: 12/9/04 Section: News
The scent of chlorine permeates the air. A big band swing song is projected from the loudspeakers. A woman is sprawled out on the edge of the swimming pool, banging a wrench on the pool's metal lining. The clinks sound to the beat of the song.
"Turn-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. Out-2-3-4-5-6-7-8." At one end of the pool, a group of women float on their backs and arrange themselves in a star formation. At the opposite end, women kick their legs in the air in sync.
It is 9:15 on a Thursday night, and the synchronized swimming team is practicing its routines for its first performance of the year. The team is the opening for the Athletic Association's Midnight Madness this year. They will perform at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 14.
Every year the team chooses a theme on which to base their song choices. This year they chose the theme "Wild, Wild, West (of Massachusetts)." They were inspired by this year's theme for Midnight Madness, "Rodeo."
"Our original theme was 'Swing,' so there is some swing music in the show," said Smith Synchro president Sara Barz '06. "We added the 'of Massachusetts' because people in Western Massachusetts swing dance."
Plans for their first show include a "candle routine" in which they turn off the lights and create different formations while treading water. All the audience can see are the candles the swimmers are holding.
There are 14 women in the club this year. Three of the women are students at the University of Massachusetts; the other eleven are Smith students. Smith is the only Five College school that has a synchronized swimming team. This year's team has seven returning members and eight new members. Of the new members, six are beginners and two are experienced synchronized swimmers.
The team is completely self-managed; they are considered a club sport. Members of the team work together to choreograph pieces for their show.
Smith Synchro plans on being more active this year than in previous years and plans on participating in more events in the synchronized swimming community. These plans include the team participating in their first competition in seven years at Wheaten College in February.
"As far as I am aware, the synchronized swimming team has not competed since 1995," said Barz.
They are also collaborating with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and hope to hold a joint exhibition with their synchronized swimming club in April. Depending on where the national synchronized swimming competitions are held, the team would like to travel together to watch the event.
The team is planning a number of fundraisers this year to fund their activities. For their first fundraiser, "On Top or on the Bottom?" they will be selling a variety of underwear and over-wear in the Campus Center.
"[Synchronized swimming] is a very specific, very tangible, very step-by-step, learnable skill, and once you learn it and can do it accurately, you feel very accomplished. But, on the other hand, you still have room for improvement," said member Danni Enscore '07.
"Turn-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. Out-2-3-4-5-6-7-8." At one end of the pool, a group of women float on their backs and arrange themselves in a star formation. At the opposite end, women kick their legs in the air in sync.
It is 9:15 on a Thursday night, and the synchronized swimming team is practicing its routines for its first performance of the year. The team is the opening for the Athletic Association's Midnight Madness this year. They will perform at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 14.
Every year the team chooses a theme on which to base their song choices. This year they chose the theme "Wild, Wild, West (of Massachusetts)." They were inspired by this year's theme for Midnight Madness, "Rodeo."
"Our original theme was 'Swing,' so there is some swing music in the show," said Smith Synchro president Sara Barz '06. "We added the 'of Massachusetts' because people in Western Massachusetts swing dance."
Plans for their first show include a "candle routine" in which they turn off the lights and create different formations while treading water. All the audience can see are the candles the swimmers are holding.
There are 14 women in the club this year. Three of the women are students at the University of Massachusetts; the other eleven are Smith students. Smith is the only Five College school that has a synchronized swimming team. This year's team has seven returning members and eight new members. Of the new members, six are beginners and two are experienced synchronized swimmers.
The team is completely self-managed; they are considered a club sport. Members of the team work together to choreograph pieces for their show.
Smith Synchro plans on being more active this year than in previous years and plans on participating in more events in the synchronized swimming community. These plans include the team participating in their first competition in seven years at Wheaten College in February.
"As far as I am aware, the synchronized swimming team has not competed since 1995," said Barz.
They are also collaborating with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and hope to hold a joint exhibition with their synchronized swimming club in April. Depending on where the national synchronized swimming competitions are held, the team would like to travel together to watch the event.
The team is planning a number of fundraisers this year to fund their activities. For their first fundraiser, "On Top or on the Bottom?" they will be selling a variety of underwear and over-wear in the Campus Center.
"[Synchronized swimming] is a very specific, very tangible, very step-by-step, learnable skill, and once you learn it and can do it accurately, you feel very accomplished. But, on the other hand, you still have room for improvement," said member Danni Enscore '07.