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February 1982 Spelman Spotlight Page 11 Spelman Sports Water Ballet Club Presents Lecture/Demonstration 3 By Carol Robinson P.E. Reporter On February 1, 1982, Spelman’s Synchronized Swim ming Club hosted a Water Ballet seminar at Read Hall in the swimming pool. The lecture and demonstration was instructed by a former Spelman Synchronized Swimming teacher, Ms. Joan Holmes. Student participants consisted of the members of the Spelman Water Ballet Club and other advanced swimmers. Ms. Holmes wasted no time in getting the seminar going. She gave a brief introduction and began the workout. The swimmers started off with some very basic skills that must be perfected before one can master the sport. The art of sculling (modified finning that uses the hands and arms) was first on the list, The class went through a series of sculling exercises which included the head scully, feet- first scully and an overhead scully. They also worked on the ballet lay fundamentals. A few of the students who were beginners in water ballet were drilled on other basic skills such as the tub and the tub- flutter. Coach Holmes could not stress enough how important it is to work at what you’re doing. She feels that one should practice as often as possible and especially go over the basic drills which are the backbone of a good water ballet performance. During the lec- ture, she emphasized, “no matter how good you are, you can always get better and stronger.” Body control and strong abdominal muscles are essential. Synchronized swim ming entails an extremely vital conditioning. Ms. Holmes also brought to the attention of her audience that a background in some type of dance class, (usual ly jazz and/or modern dance) is a big plus in water ballet because it helps with agility and overall grace. Another point that instructor Holmes touched upon throughout her lecture was the importance of music in water ballet. She feels that using corn- temporary music makes the programs more interesting for the athletes as well as the audience. When putting on a program, Ms. Holmes starts with a theme first. She gave examples of some of her themes used in the past, such as “Star Wars” and the disco. Once the theme has been decided upon, the next step in constructing a show is finding the proper music to correspond with the theme. Proper costumes are a definite visual aid and contribute to the overall show. Of course, the show cannot survive unless the choreography is really together. Ms. Holmes stated that she begins the choreography rehearsals at least two and a half to three months prior to the performance. The squad begins their conditioning period as much as six months in advance. Coach Holmes feels that the ideal program has five to six individual routines consisting of one or two solo acts. She has found that it is easier to work with a small group. At the present time Ms. Holmes is an instructor at Kennesaw College in Marietta, Georgia. Though she's been there for three years, this is her first year with a synchronized swimming team. During the summer she hosts a camp at Spelman College for children from ages 8-12 years of age. She teaches them the basic water ballet techniques. In the future, Ms. Holmes would like to work more with small black children because she thinks blacks miss out on the early training. She states, “blacks, as a whole, have not been interested because they see it as too boring or too classical.” She has found however, that blacks have a lot to offer with their innovative music, which adds so much more to a synchronized swimming program. Intramural Basketball In Formation By Carolyn Robinson P.E. Reporter Spelman College’s 1982 in tramural basketball season is now being formed. Any group or organization such as dorms, sororities, clubs, etc., may submit a team roster to Ms. Veronica Anthony at Read Hall. There must be a minimum of seven players to each squad and a maximum of ten players. The deadline for rosters is February 19th. There will be an organizational meeting for team captains on the 20th of this month at 5:00 in the gymnasium. It is important that all teams are represented. The tournament is scheduled to begin on the 22nd of February. If there is anyone who is interested in participating in the tournament but is unable to form a team, the Physical Education Department will assist you in team organization. For further information and entry forms, contact the P.E. Dept., Read Hall, ext. 273. Everyone is welcome to come to the games and cheer, for their favorite team! W arm W eather Ideas The Travel Bug By Lisa P. Turner With the recent warm weather that the Atlanta area has been experiencing, I began to think about the upcoming spring and what I will be doing with myself. On one of those unseasonably warm days last week, I heard many echoes around the dorm of those who desired to escape to the park. With the warm weather just a little more than a month away, I thought that I would share some ideas on how to spend those beautiful days. An interesting day at the park can incorporate many activities. The picnicker may pack such items as frisbees, books, portable music equipment, a volleyball net, skates, and so forth. The possibilities are endless if one just uses his/her imagination and a little planning. A day at the park can also be an inexpensive date. A day at the park might conjure up visions of ants, hot beverages, and soggy paper plates. This picnic can, however, have as much class as the French restaurant down town, if done properly and with pizzazz. If you have ever seen those costly picnic basket sets in various stores, than- you have seen how fancy the baskets can be. A cheaper student version can be made if one is willing to spend a little time and creativity to make one's own unique basket. The first step to a stylish picnic is the basket. This may be a wicker basket, a large straw sewing case, ora wire grid basket coated in plastic like the ones found in food freezers. Some suggested stores to look for these baskets cheaply are: Kessler’s. Woolco, Woolworth, Sears, J.C. Penney, , K-Mart, Zayre’s, and thrift shops. After the basket has been bought, it can be spray painted and/or lined with a piece of material (about a half of a yard) that square napkins can also be made out of. The lining can be at tached to the basket with glue such as Elmer’s Dip ‘N Dab. A large piece of matching material can be used optionally as a ‘tablecloth’. The next items of concern are the plates and utensils. These can also be purchased for little and still be decorative. They can be bought in colorful sets of plastic that will not spill when loaded with food. A matching set of utensils, plates, and tumblers certainly will be chic, but some may prefer to add a little flair with old silver uten sils, plastic champagne glasses or real wine glasses. Now that you are equipped to impress that ‘special’ friend, you might want to invest in an inexpensive wine or champagne to put a festive light in the day. Be sure to choose a scenic place for your picnic with a minimum of ants. A picnic on a hill overlook ing the park might be advan tageous for privacy. Some parks in the area are: Atlanta Botanical Gardens (Piedmont Park), Stone Mountain, Tobie Grant Recreational Park, and Lake Lanier. This is all just suggestion and the main idea here is to use your imagination to create good times at little cost. If you have any ideas that you would like ex plored, please send them to The Spotlight Attn. Lisa P. Turner. I’ll be talking to you next time and until then, just remember that those warm days are right around the corner. How will you spend them? By Pamela Hurst Are you bored? Do you want a change of scenery? Why not visit some of Georgia’s recreational park and resort areas? An ideal place for couples to visit is Jekyll Island. It is located off the Southeast coast of Georgia. One of the six beautiful islands of “The Golden Isles,” Jekyll Island has ten miles of beautiful beach area. The setting is perfect for a romantic stroll with someone special. In addition to the beach area, there are six tennis courts, a picnic area, a bike trail, and daily boat cruises. Another island included in the “Golden Isles” is St. Simons. It is approximately 12 miles long and four miles wide. Also, it is one of the largest of the six isles. It is really a great place for swimming and relaxing. It is located near Brunswick, Georgia. One other sceriic island with an Atlantic Ocean beach is Cumberland Island National Seashore. St. Simons is located in St. Mary's, Georgia. All of these are great islands to visit, so why not take advantage? There is an entrance fee charged in some areas of the National Park system. The fees range from 50 cents for an individual to $3.00 per passenger car. Georgia, also, offers many recreational, sites. A really fan tastic place to visit is Lake Lanier. It is located in Buford, Georgia. « The admission price is $2.00 per car. The fun attractions are horseback riding, white, sandy beach, lake swimming, and water slides. Lake Lanier also provides cottages.. For further information, call (404) 945-6701. Another fun place to visit is Stone Mountain Park. It is located only sixteen miles east of downtown Atlanta. It has a nice beach area. A few of the attrac tions are the Skylift, the River- boat, and the Railroad. Attrac tion hours are 10:00-5:30 (winter months). A park permit is re quired for each vehicle entering the park. The recreational facilities include basketball, ping-pong, volleyball, and a heated outdoor swimming pool. For individuals who would like to rent a cottage, they are priced as follows: one bedroom cottage per night-$18.00, two bedroom is $24.00 per night, and three bedroom is $30.00 per night. All Georgia State Parks are open to the public year- round from 7:00 a.m. tO 10:00 p.m. (Eastern time). For an exciting outing, Six Flags is a wonderful choice. It has more than 100 rides, shows, and attractions. Some of which in clude the Mind Bender, Great American Scream Machine, and the Gasp. Open weekends only, early March to mid- May. For opening and closing times, call (404) 948-9290. So, as you can see, Georgia offers many womderful things to occupy one's time. Have a terrific time.