Dive into another world

THEATER enthusiasts know that Aida, Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, is sung by stars with big lungs and finely tuned ears. To a group of underwater performers, however, outstanding lungs and ears are also what count because of the pressure of being underwater.

They are not divas but aqua ballet performers, their routine being to go more than 10 ft deep underwater on a single breath of air. Composed of Lucille Salvador, Joy Ayob, Honeybelle Alcazar and Maui Caringal, the group can be considered free divers because they do it like fish, without tanks of air.

Watching the four blend the art of dancing and skill of swimming at the Giulin Restaurant of Sulo Hotel in Quezon City gives viewers a feeling that the performers are in another world, where there is no gravitational force, no color, no noise.

"One does not descend to look around but to look into oneself. It’s a long jump into the soul," says Salvador, who has been into swimming since she was 7 years old. Together with her six siblings, she was enrolled by her parents at a YMCA program in Cotabato.

Salvador shares a passion for water with Ayob, Alcazar and Caringal that it’s not surprising to see them effortlessly move through the water.

It was at the very young age of 4 that Ayob was trained by her uncles to swim in the streams and rivers of Zamboanga. "But what I really loved during my elementary days was ballet. I even used to dream about it."

On the other hand, Alcazar joined the swimming group of a sports club at 8 and participated in competitions. "I began to neglect my studies so I was forced to stop my swimming activities. After finishing high school, my father encouraged me to join the Aqua Belles."

Caringal, a management graduate of the University of Santo Tomas, used to be a member of the university’s varsity team.

Salvador, a medical technology graduate of Centro Escolar University; Ayob, who took up Computer Secretarial at the Cora Doloroso School; and Alcazar are now working full-time at Sulo Hotel as food checkers and Aqua Belles.

Feat of excellence

The underwater routine boasts exhilarating leaps and tumbles that were handed down by a group of professional Australian swimmers, the first batch of aqua ballet performers at Sulo Hotel when it was established by Leandro Enriquez in 1967.

"Since then, the hotel has been recruiting trainees for this act. One time we got more than a hundred calls from applicants who were trimmed down to five. But due to the extensive training, they all backed out," says Miok Loyola, PR manager of Sulo Hotel, who also proudly notes that it’s the only venue in Asia that features such presentation.

At present, the hotel is looking for pleasant-looking men and women with slender bodies and are willing to undergo a fierce training regimen for one month. Call Miok Loyola at 924-5051 to 71.

The Aqua Belles present three sets of a 30-minute act from 7:45-9 p.m., Monday to Friday. Their basic routine includes the clover forward tuck, acro-jack, Dyesebel, standing in square and forward pike. Such exercises display the human body in such elegant and harmonious manner. Although the aqua ballet technique is strict and the training is strenuous, the result on "underwater stage" is natural and beautiful. It makes all the hard work of Salvador, Ayob, Alcazar and Caringal worthwhile.

Because they don’t use compressed air, they can surface rapidly without risking the build-up of nitrogen bubbles in the blood that divers with tanks must guard against.

"But accidents can still happen like having cramps or a misstep which could cause a twisted shoulder. So one should learn the basic stunts, floating and tiptoeing. The feet and fingers should be close together while performing underwater," Salvador explains.

She also adds that although lung capacity is crucial, more important are one’s ears, muscles and mental preparation. "You have to banish your fear, worries and distractions because they consume energy."

Salvador says there are two essential rules for those who want to learn aqua ballet: "Never practice alone and never practice with someone who is inexperienced. The only safe way to practice alone is without water. It’s very good training." She’s referring to breathing and stretching exercises, along with lots of gym work.

Most people would rather lie in a hot bath listening to Verdi but these aqua ballet performers are drawn to water by the same attraction that drives climbers to scale heights. Just invert Mt. Everest and melt the snow.