Wet Rehearsals

Guest feature by Kayla Reed

BLUFFTON, Indiana, August 30. THE auditorium quiets, the lights dim, the curtain rises and…splash? Do you think it seems like a stretch to compare swimming and acting? I thought that way too. They were separate worlds in my mind although I've been involved in both for many years. Then one day I was sitting in the stands at a swim meet watching a race and observing the people sitting around me.

"This is like a show!" I realized. "All these people have come to watch us kids swim."

I wondered if theatre and swimming were perhaps more similar than I thought.

I decided to make a list of aspects involved in the two activities and compare them. My results amazed me – for each thing I found in swimming, another could counter it in theatre! The swimmer is the same as the actor, practices are like wet rehearsals, and a meet is the show. Each basic component of a musical mirrors the training you find in swimming. Not only that, after looking at my list more closely, I also discovered that there were things a swimmer could learn from the acting world. Check it out!

The Director
One of the most important parts of producing a musical is having a director. No show would ever make it to opening night without a director and the same can be said of a coach. A director's job is to guide the actors, tell them how to say lines, where to move, how to look. A coach guides the swimmers, telling them how to stroke, kick, breath, start, turn, and finish.

Since directors are often well respected for all their work; they're applauded and given gifts. Shouldn't swimmers respect their coaches too? They spend hours, sometimes entire weekends on deck with their swimmers teaching and guiding. No, I'm not saying you need to go by them a gift. I'm simply asking you to be thankful for them. When they point out problems in our technique or give us some advice, don't ignore what they say, but change the stuff they showed you – even if it seems hard or feels funny. Also, don't forget to thank your coach for being there for you and investing so much effort in your swimming.

The Cast
After the director is found, a musical production needs a cast. Often the actors and actresses become a family because they're around each other so much. They support each other by helping other cast members with their lines, fixing their hair or costumes, and assisting with props. Teammates should become a cast; a family instead of just a team. We could fix each other's strokes and encourage each other during tough sets or races. When you see teammates struggling in meets or practice, give them some support. The difference between a good team and a great team is spirit.

Preparation
Once a director and cast have been decided upon, the actors start to prepare for their parts. Even before the first rehearsal, actors are memorizing lines and learning songs. While swimmers don't have to memorize any lines, they do have to prepare for their rehearsals (practices).

Keeping your body healthy is important in swimming, and you can't keep your body healthy with just exercise. Nutrition is a key factor for overall athletic health. Think of your healthy eating the way actors consider learning their songs and lines: required. Just as actors put in extra prep time, a swimmer put in some extra time researching and putting into practice healthy nutrition.

Rehearsals
It takes many months of rehearsals to prepare for a single show. Sometimes the rehearsals can drag on for six hours or more! Does that much work sound familiar? Swimmers practice for weeks before a meet — with many hours. Two to three hour practices plus dry land seem to last forever when you are tired. The key is to keep your eyes on the prize. When the rehearsals get boring, actors remember opening night and that gets them motivated again. Also, they often look for things they need to improve and focus on one them for each rehearsal.

Swimmers can look forward to big swim meets for their motivation and to keep tedious swim practices interesting, try setting small goals as well. Although there is that saying ‘practice makes perfect' going around, the true statement is ‘perfect practice makes perfect'. Find things to work on every practice to keep yourself occupied and interested. One practice, focus on kicking off every wall. Another practice, check your turn technique or break down one of your strokes. There's always a way to improve and stay focused.

When actors stumble over lines repeatedly, always miss a cue, or never seem to be in the right place at the right time, a director will work the trouble spot over and over because the way you rehearse is the way you will perform under pressure. If you never finish all the way into the wall, pull on lane lines, or drill during butterfly, your body will want to do the same during a meet. For example, if you don't finish all the way into the wall, your body will quit during the finish of a race. Perfect practice makes a perfect meet.

The Show
Nerves run high, everyone is in costume, sound check is finished – it's time for the show. Nerves run high, everyone is in their swimming suits, warm-ups are finished – it's time for the meet. Here it's very easy to see the relation between a show and a meet. Both a show and a meet have an audience and both have performers. Your race is the show and you are the star, so do your best and have fun! By now, you've been listening to your coach, eating healthy, and practicing perfectly so you're ready. Your teammates are there to cheer you on and you've stretched your muscles. This is the moment you've been waiting for. The auditorium quiets, the lights dim, the curtain rises up…take your mark…splash!

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