Think synchronized swimming is all caps, goggles and forced smiles? CORALIE CARLSON visits a class that takes its water ballet seriously.
Synchronized swimming for the masses.
Synchronized swimming may be better known for nose plugs and that everlasting Saturday Night Live spoof, but a group of students in the Bronx are learning that water ballet can make them better swimmers, help develop core muscles and infuse some fun into a pool workout.
The eight-week community education class at Lehman College is part of coach Rowena Dale Mohammed's plan to establish the sport in the New York area with competitive youth leagues and recreational adult teams.
She teaches beginners how to tread water, use their hands to stay afloat and twist and turn in summersaults.
In this video report, CORALIE CARLSON and RAY ZABLOCKI talk the coach who is trying to bring synchronized swimming out of the watery sidelines and into the mainstream.
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See the video here.
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asap contributor Coralie Carlson is an editor on AP's national desk in New York.
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