Bobcatalina rocks jungle performance
By Jaclyn Lipp, Staff Writer
February 27, 2007 | 8:06 p.m.
Classic rock music pounding through the loudspeakers, neon animal print tights in every color imaginable, dancing, strip teases and elegant moves in the water all helped to transform the Aquatic Center into the site of a spectacular synchronized swim show this past weekend.
The lights were dimmed, the stands were packed and the hot air was buzzing with anticipation as everyone waited for Bobcatalina’s annual synchronized swim show to begin on Saturday night. Bright, painted posters adorned the walls, and multi-colored spotlights danced across the deck of the pool. Finally, a booming voice announced the theme of the night over the speakers, “Welcome to the jungle!” and the girls of Bobcatalina emerged to the sound of loud cheers.
Bobcatalina’s members prowled and clawed their way into the spotlight, humorously imitating jungle wildlife. Dressed in various shades of blue and green, they immediately broke into a fun poolside dance for the opening number, “Welcome to the Jungle,” by Guns N’ Roses.
The high energy never lulled during the rest of the hour-long show. Two senior members of the club in black suits and hot pink tights dived into the water and kicked the show off right to the notes of the “Pink Panther” theme song. The girls pulled off some really impressive moves, including one in which two girls were connected in a circle by arching their backs, putting their feet on each other’s shoulders and continually pulling each other in a circle up to the surface, almost like a human water wheel.
For each new selection, the girls would appear poolside dressed in a dazzling array of brightly colored tights, which often had stripes or animal prints. They also sported props such as hats, sunglasses and sweatpants, which would go flying off to cheers before the girls entered the pool.
Audience member and Ohio University sophomore Brad Hoffman commented on their outfits; “I want to get some of those tights for my girlfriend.”
Many of the other numbers were just as entertaining, with the girls gliding through the water and making complicated moves look effortless. There were ballet legs, somersaults, kicks and star formations galore, all to upbeat tunes centered around the jungle theme. Another notable entrance to the pool featured two girls diving in as two more members held their legs from in the pool, and they were all pulled toward the center of the water.
Toward the end of the show, there was a hilarious guest appearance by members of the OU Men’s Water Polo Team. Their chaotic skit was kicked off by the men’s dancing in tighty whities and soon ripping them off to reveal Speedos underneath. Several of the men headed for the diving boards to continue ridiculous dance routines, while the rest of the men in the water surrounded what can only be described as a huge floating circular tub in which more dancing ensued.
“The boys practice at the same time as us, and sometimes during practice they make fun of us and do it, too, so they got a part,” said Markee Speyer, a freshman Bobcatalina member. “They gave us their mix and we played it and that’s what happened.”
The whole team appeared again at the end for the finale to the song “Jungle Boogie.” The show went out with a bang as all the girls dived into the water and performed kicks and somersaults in sync, as well as making an enormous moving circle to end the show.
Freshman Kirsten Allen said of the show, “Their routines looked really hard, but the swimmers did a great job. The decorations created a cool atmosphere, too.”
Diving deeper to the makings of the show
Even though it seemed as if the girls pulled the fun jungle show off with ease, members of OU’s recreational synchronized swim club said the moves aren’t as easy as they look.
“Actually, even just a simple ballet leg, which is just keeping your leg up the whole time, is really difficult,” said Erica Nunez, another freshman member of Bobcatalina. “It’s hard to support your own weight; you have to keep sculling your arms [continuously moving them really fast] under the water to keep yourself afloat.”
The girls have been practicing for this show since the end of fall quarter, usually putting in two hours a week, and more as it got closer to the show.
They admitted to some minor technical difficulties that added to the stress on performance night, such as an underwater speaker they had rented played the music for their routines during dress rehearsal, but the cord snapped and they had to go without it during the actual performance.
Nunez also said she frantically had to change her whole outfit in between numbers, and that she barely made it back out of the locker room in time for her next routine.
After the performance, the girls found out that one of the members of the men’s water polo team had slipped during the finale when everyone was dancing, fallen forward and broken his nose.
Despite all the set-backs, the girls pulled everything together and put on an amazing show.
Bobcatalina: the beginnings
Bobcatalina itself, the recreational synchronized swim club, was brought to OU a few years ago by graduates of Firestone Public High School, a school in the Akron area. The girls had participated in a synchronized club called Catalina in high school, and fittingly adjusted the name to Bobcatalina upon coming to OU.
Each year, the group puts on a themed swim show, complete with full costumes and decorations. Members of the Bobcatalina say it’s a really fun club to join with your friends, and it’s not a huge financial investment, either. The girls paid less than $50 altogether for the entire year.
“It’s a lot of fun and it’s not a huge time commitment, but while you’re there you’re going to work hard,” Speyer said, encouraging anyone interested to give it a try.
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