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Synchronised Swimming
8 January 2013
The Aqualillies are a performance troupe of young women who combine theatre and dance with synchronised swimming to bring something truly unique to the pool.
Think synchronised swimming is only for elderly people? Think again.
Founded in Los Angeles in 2008, the Aqualillies have now grown to include around 100 performers across Las Vegas, New York, Miami, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. The Lillies (as they call the girls in the group) are trained in a wide variety of fields, some professional actors and dancers, while others are competitive swimmers or water sport instructors; there are even a few retired Olympians amongst their ranks!
The Aqualillies perform for various events and television shows, and have already appeared on Glee, and in Justin Beiber’s video clip for “Beauty and a beat”, in addition to swimming at private events for Justin Timberlake, The Kardashians and Leonardo DiCaprio, to name a few. They were also hired to perform as the opening act to Dita Von Teese at a series of Friday night summer pool parties hosted by Cointreau.
But how have the Aqualillies transformed synchronised swimming, a sport normally associated with being slow and boring, into something that represents athleticism, style and grace?
| They have reinvented synchronised swimming for the 21st century with an interesting mixture of old school glamour, seen in their ‘50s style swimsuits and waterproof makeup they perform in, and modern athletics and dance, with their remixed music and innovative manoeuvres. Using music from the 1950s remixed with current dance music, they aim to inspire audiences with their athleticism and grace during their performances.Perhaps what has made the Aqualillies so popular with audiences is the clear passion of all of their members; they all love what they do, describing it as a non-competitive team sport where they can enjoy being in the water and pushing their own athletic boundaries. |
The Aqualillies was launched by Mesha Kussman who, after studying installation art and experimental theatre at university, moved to Los Angeles. Despite having had no experience in synchronised swimming herself, Mesha observed most parties were held around pools that were lit up like stages; she felt there had to be some way of utilising that space for a theatrical purpose, and the Aqualillies was born!
With spreads in Vogue, Marie Claire and the New York Times, the Aqualillies now represents sexy sophistication, luxury and style.
Looking ahead, the Aqualillies have their sights set on the international stage; Mesha is currently looking at placing a performance troupe in Cannes in France.