Photo by Sophie Dalton ‘25.
The Lyonfish, pictured above, held their second ever showcase on Dec. 9.
By Zellie Calavita ’26
Staff Writer
The Lyonfish Artistic Swimming Club team performed their second-ever showcase, “Synchro-RISE,” on Dec. 9 at the Mount Holyoke College Kendall Sports and Dance Complex Natatorium. Captains Evi Ratner ’25 and Mamie Mulder ’25 opened the show by introducing each performer, before Ratner made an impressive front flip dive into the pool.
The show began with a group performance by all six swimmers to One Direction’s “One Thing.” The routine incorporated the “oyster” skill, where swimmers lie on their backs and then sink into the water, and the “pinwheel,” where each swimmer swims in a circle in a way that resembles a pinwheel.
After a round of applause, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by WHAM started playing as Ratner and Mulder began a duet that featured a skilled lift from out of the water. Meggie Czepiel ’24 then performed a thoughtful and moody solo piece, where she artfully used the entire pool, prompting multiple cheers from the audience. The showcase ended with a second group performance, this time to “Good 4 U” by Olivia Rodrigo.
The team had been working on parts of their choreography since October to prepare for the show. “Since then, practice has consisted mostly of learning the steps to each piece,” Mulder said in an email to Mount Holyoke News. “We occasionally stop to try a particular step a few times until everyone gets it right. We also do some out-of-the-pool work where we run through pieces on dry ground to get the steps in the right order.” Ratner added that “it’s easier to get timing when you’re out of the pool.”
Bria McKinley-Nicastro ’26 described her process for learning the choreography. “For practice, I mostly just did the routine both in and out of the water. I had a harder time remembering the order of the moves rather than the moves themselves, so I focused on that specifically.”
She went on to express her appreciation for the team’s captains. “[Mulder] and [Ratner] were very helpful; they showed me the moves and order when I forgot or was just learning,” McKinley-Nicastro said. “They played a huge part in this rehearsal happening.”
When choosing the music for group performances, Mulder and Ratner took suggestions from the team and sent out a survey where each member chose their top songs. “Choosing music is always fun because the music really dictates the rest of the piece,” Mulder said. “I often hear a song in the dining hall, grocery store or on the radio and just start to think how fun it would be to choreograph to. Sometimes I will even find myself planning little movements while listening to a song.”
“Artistic swimming is so fun and you should join!” Max Paster ’25 said. “It’s so nice to get in the pool and do fun performances and choreography every week. I’ve missed swimming and this has been an awesome way to get back into the pool.”
Em Brandon ’27, who was unable to perform due to an injury, echoed Paster’s statement. “Come join our team! We only meet once a week on Saturdays and it is a great de-stressor.”