While recruiting mers for my waterballet group, I noticed that there are countless "mermaid school"-swimming courses for beginners everywhere- most of them targetted at children-, but very little for people who already are practiced mers and now are looking to do something more with it than just the one con or so a year.
While there are also some training camps for intermediate swimmers, the goal always seems to be becoming a mermaid, but where is the fun stuff for those who already can do what such courses offer?
Is it simply too niche?
Do people feel they are not "there" yet and need more practice before joining something that has being a mermaid as prerequisite?
Is there simply no interest in further mermaid activities other than donning a tail and then decoratively sitting with it?
I struggle to understand the reason why it is so difficult to find more people for fun mer events/groups, because the possibilities are virtually endless.
A few ideas/stuff I've tried:
-mermaid LARP.
Getting together in a suitable location (for example, a small lake in a less frequented area) and doing some old fashioned LARP, but with the participants being mers.
For longer sessions, one could book accommodations nearby and also include time on land -great opportunity to be creative with mermaidy land costumes!
(I know there are some LARPS which have the odd mermaid in it, mostly as NPCs, but I was looking for something focusing on mermaid life and activities plus a lot of swimming)
-mermaid swimming/dancing groups.
practicing musical choreographies, synchronized underwater tricks and other fun stuff in regular group meetings.
If the group remains stable, giving performances or even touring is a possibility.
-mermaid circle.
meet-up group for mers interested in spirituality and nature protection.
Could also be simply for doing stuff together either on land or in water- be it swimming,
dancing, singing, making costumes.
I have tried initiating things like these as regularly occurring events, but despite the overwhelming number of pools now featuring "mermaid courses", everything here is always aimed at smaller kids.
It seems a lot more vibrant and popular in the US.
From what I can tell, apart from some "Miss"-Competitions, adults in Europe seem rather uninterested and/or uncomfortable participating.
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