Artistic swimming (formerly synchro) combines swimming, gymnastics, and dance into a captivating routine of synchronized underwater and arm movements set to music. In duet and team events, swimmers showcase creative and acrobatic skills, combining strength and artistry.
Join our learn artistic swimming classes in Edmonton and greater area for a blend of grace and fitness! Perfect for beginners, our program combines water and land exercises to enhance physical skills and foster artistic expression. Enjoy fitness, friendship, and personal growth in a supportive, inclusive environment. Make a splash and discover the art of artistic swimming with us today!
Building the Elite Artistic Swimmer
Artistic swimmers are truly exceptional athletes, combining impressive fitness with graceful performances in the water. They are among the fittest athletes globally, mastering endurance and strength in unique ways. Imagine the challenge of running a race while holding your breath—that’s a glimpse into the dedication required. To become a top artistic swimmer, athletes practice not only their routines but also train in swimming, strength, and general fitness, both in and out of the water. It’s a journey of developing incredible skills and achieving beautiful performances, making it an inspiring and rewarding sport for newcomers to explore.
In addition to our competitive programs, Excel offers beginner classes that are designed to be both engaging and enjoyable.
All are welcome
New to Artistic Swimming?
The questions we know you want to ask!
What do you put in your hair?
That shinning hair? Oh, it is Gelatin! From their very first performances, the swimmers learn how to hold their hair up with tons and tons of hairpins and three coats of gelatine meticulously brushed into their hair. It is almost like a symbolic ritual performed before each competition. It can take up to 1.5 hours to make it perfect! It can sometimes turn out into a friendly competition among athletes to know who has the “best hair.”
What is a custom swimsuit?
As the athletes progress in the sport, their suits also get more elaborate. Suits are custom-made to represent the theme of the routine. Hours and hours of detailed work go into the suits, First by the parents who diligently glue stone by stone, bead by bead, to the fabric. Accomplished artists sometimes design top athletes’ suits, which are meticulously handmade. However, there has been a recent shift away from the importance of suits and makeup. Instead, the focus has been on the athletic components of the sport.
What is land drill?
Even though the name of the sport was recently changed from Synchronized Swimming to Artistic Swimming, synchronization is still a very dominant aspect of the sport. To train the precision of the movements to the music, the swimmers recreate the routine out of the water. Like sign language, there is a common international language for “landrill”. This “landrill” language is the interpretation of all the movements done in the water with hands and arms only.
How do you hear the music under the water?
Originally created for naval applications, underwater speakers are now a fantastic addition to the pool, enhancing artistic swimming performances. These speakers let swimmers hear the music clearly, helping them stay perfectly synchronized with their routines.
Engineered with safety in mind, these speakers are designed to be safe and reliable, avoiding any risk of malfunction or accidents.
One of the amazing things about sound is that it travels well both through air and water, moving 4.3 times faster underwater. At artistic swimming competitions, it's crucial to position the out-of-water speakers close to the pool to ensure that the sound timing is spot-on for the swimmers. This technology adds a magical touch to the sport, making each performance even more captivating.
How can you hold your breath for so long?
Athletes gradually build their breath-holding skills through a combination of mental and physical training. For artistic swimmers, this involves plenty of practice, including exercises specifically designed to improve breath control and performing their routines repeatedly. This training helps them become comfortable and confident, allowing them to execute their stunning performances with ease and grace.