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Hi Merfollk, I didn't introduce myself & posted elsewhere first...so plunge right in!
Greetings Merfolk, I'm so glad to meet you all! This should be lots of fun!
My name is Marla, I've been Mermaid Marla for over 40 years. I found the MerNetwork after my return from the 65th Mermaid reunion at Weeki Wachee Springs, in July, now a state park in Florida. Eric, Mertailor, is a friend of mine who suggested I look you up. So here I am!
I was fearless of the water as a child, and tried to swim long before I could walk, to my Mom's chagrin. She put me in lessons as soon as they would let me, I think about age 6. From there I swam constantly, competitive, then eventually joining the synchronized swim team at our high school. I swam synchro, for 2 years (1967-68), and moved to Florida in 1969, where I tried out at Weeki Wachee, and was hired. I spent my senior year swimming at the Springs, learning each part in the show, and also suit and tail making (we had only 2-way stretch heavy weight gold or silver, or sequined fabric tails) ; back then we weren't allowed to show our rib cage, it was thought to be unsightly... things have changed!
Along with choreography, all the mermaids, and trainees learned ballet, worked with staff photographers both on land, and underwater photos (remember there were no digital cameras back then, you had to get the shot in the first or two takes), stage makeup, announcing shows, running the control booth (air bubble curtain, lifts, music....) and swimming, 3 one-hour shows a day (sometimes 4). We swam in the crystal clear 72 degree head waters of the Spring, a 1st degree outflow. Because we were owned by Paramount Studios, we could use any of the licensed musicals, or movies to create our shows. We all, at the time, were part of the Stage Actors Guild, and had cards, thru Paramount. We had wonderful sponsors, Catalina swim suits, Breck hair products, Voit fins for our tails, and on and on. We studied under wonderful choreographers, learned ballet, free diving techniques, and eventually certified as SCUBA divers.
I spent late afternoons and evenings, all weekends and holidays swimming there during high school, and once graduated, I swam all most two more years longer. I loved performing for audiences; besides underwater musical routines, we demonstrated eating bananas, talking on an underwater microphone, drinking cola, demonstrated how buoyancy worked, and fed the fish! Once in a while while performing an occasional manatee or gar fish would come up river to steal the show! LOL! Mostly all our swimming was done at about 15 feet deep. We used compressed air on specially designed hoses for our routines, dropping them, holding our breath, for many parts of the routines, and of course for the deep dive. We swam, in a tail, down the outflow, to about 80 of the 120 feet (current got to strong to go any deeper) and hung on to rocks as our air hose was pulled away (part of the show). We held our breath for a few minutes, then rose on the current to perform mermaid crawl, back dolphins (no bent knees), layout and vertical spirals before our spotter returned the air hose to us. It was an awesome time to be a Mermaid, because back then it was just us. There were no other professional Mermaids swimming in a live Spring in the World.
I'm now a retired mermaid, I still swim (its in my blood and in my soul) when I can. We now have a new ranch and home we are building on the beautiful Nissitissit River. We have 1400 feet of frontage. Our Ranch is named Winding Waters Ranch, taken from the English translation of the Seminole Indian name Weeki Wachee, which means Winding Waters. Someday when we are settled there, I will swim the river in my tail. The water shouldn't be any colder than the Springs! It's the 10th cleanest river in the North East (New England)! Just not as clear as Weeki Wachee Springs, but you CAN see the bottom from the bridge! And the little fishes!
Thank you for letting me into your waters,
Bubble-hearts!
Mermaid Marla (the original) :)
