Swimmers to present show

The show's dialogue connects the swimming performances.
By ASHLEE OWENS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
McDONALD -- In a shimmering blue swimsuit with matching elbow-length gloves, Lindsey Urban slithered against a brick pole before hand-standing into the swimming pool in McDonald High School.
She was rehearsing for the Royal Swan Swim Club's 55th annual synchronized-swimming show, taking place tonight through Saturday. The event will showcase the talent of 31 girls in seventh through 12th grades.
With the theme "Girls' Night Out," the show begins at a girls-only sleepover, where two very awkward girls arrive in phony falsettos and obvious wigs. Boy alert!
They introduce themselves as Tara and Laura, and the sleepover's befuddled hostess invites them to join the party.
"Man, I feel like a woman," one of the imposters exclaims, cueing the Shania Twain song of the same name. The room is darkened and there's some splashing. When the lights come back up, a purplish-pink glow bathes Swans in the pool. The Swans swim in harmony, floating on their backs with legs extended, toes pointed.
In addition to kaleidoscopic formations, one of the coolest things the girls do is a human chain, linking feet to the shoulders of the person in front. The girl at the top then arches backward, swimming underwater, until her hands meet the ankles of the last girl. And the chain circles.
The show continues with dialogue cueing the swimming. It follows the adventures of the sleepover, from sneaking out to a club to unmasking intruders.
What Swans do
The music, upbeat and girl-oriented, includes selections like "It's Raining Men," "Barbie Girl" and "Lady Marmalade." The number of girls in the pool is different each set -- ranging from all Swans to solos and duets.
The costumes change for each set, also. During "Barbie Girl," the Cygnets -- first-year Swans, identifiable by their swim caps -- emerge wearing tutus over their suits. In "Lady Marmalade," the girls wear red chokers and black suits with red, corset-like boning.
Swim adviser Pam Ruby described the show as water ballet. "It's the only program like this anywhere in the whole Valley," she said. "And the girls love it."
Swans' and Cygnets' friends and family gathered to watch the rehearsal. Nancy Dawn Pompeo set up a tripod and camera to film her daughter, senior Samantha Pompeo.
"A lot of the people that grew up in McDonald were Royal Swans ourselves," she said. "Our daughters are Swans now, so it's really special to be able to watch them carry on the tradition. It hits you right in the heart."
A word to the wise: The poolside is tropically warm. Wear layers of clothing you can peel off as needed.