International Academy of Aquatic Art

The International Academy of Aquatic Art is a nonprofit organization for the development of swimming as a performing art. It is based in the United States.

WWW aquatic-art.org

History

The IAAA was founded in 1955 by former synchronized swimmers from the US in order to develop swimming as artistic, creative and non-competitive activity. The incorporators were:

Mary Derosier: former national chairman of the Amateur Athletic Union, which was one of the first organizations who invented synchronized swimming competitions
Richard J. Dodson: in 1951 publisher of the first magazine for synchronized swimming, the Synchronized Swimmer
Henry Gundling: synchronized swimming coach, manager and husband of synchronized swimmer Beulah Gundling

The IAAA regularly organizes festivals throughout the United States and Canada presenting different swimming performances with choreographies for soloists, duets and groups. The IAAA swimmers are called aquatic artists. The style of the performances, which are shown by women and men as well, is a mixture of synchronized swimming, water ballet, ornamental, rhythmic and scientific swimming. In most cases the swimmers use different forms of art music for the programs presented at the IAAA festivals. Bert Hubbard, one of the first male synchronized swimmers from the US, is a board member of the IAAA and documents its history and artistic activities.