view file photoThe Muni Aquastars synchronized swim team performs in a show held in 2005. This year?s event is Thursday.
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The popularity of synchronized swimming continues to grow among Las Vegas youth, and on Thursday, talented local swimmers will get to show off their skills at one of the biggest synchro events in town.
The city of Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services will hold its annual Holiday Synchronized Swimming and Springboard Diving Show starting at 6:30 p.m. that day at the Municipal Pool, located downtown at 431 E. Bonanza Road.
Synchronized swim teams and divers from around Clark County, Henderson and Las Vegas are scheduled to perform at this free family event.
Spectators are welcome to use available seating or bring their own portable chairs, and refreshments will be served.
City of Las Vegas Aquatic Recreation Leader Erin Sullivan, organizer of the show, said this event has been going on for years and continues to get bigger.
"This sport has always been very popular in Las Vegas because this is one of the few cities where you can actually see synchronized swimming performed, at (the Cirque du Soleil) shows like 'O' and 'Le Reve,' " she said. "It even started back with 'Splash' at the Riviera, when performers in those shows would coach local youth to give back to the community, and they still do today."
The city's synchronized swimming program has been operating for at least seven years, Sullivan said, and while there are several big events during the year, the annual holiday show is one of the best known.
It also helps expose the sport to more locals who may want to get involved in the year-round aquatics programs.
Synchronized swimming lessons will be offered at the Municipal Pool on Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning on Jan. 8. The cost is $32 per session, which includes eight lessons. Later sessions will begin in February, March and April.
Diving lessons will be offered on Saturdays starting Jan. 5, priced at $20 per session, also with more new sessions continuing through to the spring.
"The synchro swimming and diving programs are popular year-round, and in the summer we also add competitive swimming and water polo," Sullivan said.
New to this year's holiday show will be the diving exhibition, which will feature performances from a 1-meter springboard.
"There are a lot of girls that so look forward to this show each year, practicing two or three nights a week all year long and waiting to get a chance to do a big routine like this," Sullivan said. "At this show, they get to do all the things the professionals do, including what they wear and the things they do to get ready. It's very exciting, and it's a chance for them to perform in front of their friends and family."
For more information on the show or other aquatic activities, call 229-6309.
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