UWCSEA Dover Phoenix Synchronised Swim Team Performance
Synchronised swimming is a combination of sports, art and dance choreographed to music and performed in the water. Don’t underestimate the level of fitness, agility and competence this sport demands. The lipsticked smiles, glitzy performance in jazzy costumes demands water skills, flexibility and strength, and is performed often to up-tempo music that the athletes perform to precise timing and much grace.
Already a strong school in competitive swimming, the United World College of SE Asia (UWCSEA) Dover’s Aquatics Department decided to expand their range of aquatics sports options in the academic year 2016. And so a young synchronised swimming team was born!
The team is coached by Mei Shan Krishnan who used to be the captain of the Singapore national synchronized swimming team herself. With 10 years under her belt, she is passionate about the sport and is excited about the team which currently trains twice a week. Leading 17 girls between ages 9 and 15, she choreographed and trained the team who presented their first public performance at the school’s ACSIS Junior Swim Meet Championships just 4 months after inception on 4 December 2016.
Being a strong swimmer is a prerequisite to joining this team. In addition to this, the young athletes came from diverse backgrounds that included gymnastics, ballet and ice-skating.
On the day of the performance, the girls were decked out in their Funkita swimsuits and awaited nervously for their performance as the kickoff to the day’s swim competition program.
Two performances were presented. One a group one, and another solo. As the catchy tune of Crazy Frog by Axel F pumped through the Grandstand, the team marched out and sequentially entered the pool. Their performance was rolled out with much energy and verve. There was great camaraderie amongst the girls and they obviously had lots of fun showing off their routine.
Following that, young Sophia Monney from Finland showed off her athletic and artistic skills in her solo performance that wowed the crowd. She loves the sport and puts in her own practice time to polish her techniques and skills in addition to time spent with at the weekly team practices. Her background in ice-skating is an inspiration to her where she learnt grace and built her stamina.
Proud parents, friends and families cheered them on as the two performances rolled out in front of a crowd that exceeded 1,500 including spectators and participants. The swim meet was the perfect occasion for the team to debut their first performance.
As supporters of aquatic sports for children and their families, Ocean Paradise looks forward to more and more participation and enjoyment of such sports at schools and at home.
On this occasion, we are also proud to have been able to sponsor the team’s swimsuits from Funkita, the most boring-resistant swimsuits from Australia!