An Underwater Solo Ballet.
"AMA"
This short film was sent to me by my friend David King.
Following from a recent posting of "Dances With Whales" David sent me this as an example of the astonishing performances freedivers can do these days.
Both David and Andrea King are "freedivers" but in David's own words "nowhere near this standard."
More from David:
"What's amazing is that Guillaume Nery was also holding his breath while shooting this. I've tried filming underwater while holding my breath and, believe me, it's hard to keep the camera steady. Even your heartbeat knocks it around. Guillerme Nery would have been using a professional camera in an underwater housing rathe than a GoPro or similar action camera as I was, but to keep it as rock steady as it is in this video is breath-taking (pun intended). Not to mention the languid movements of his wife who does the ballet, and the length of time she needed to hold her breath at what appears to be at least 15 metres below the surface. Want to try it some time?
You can try holding your breath as she does the ballet and see how you go. Assume each cut was an opportunity for her to get another breath so that's when you can take one. However well or badly you do, remember you're on the surface at one atmosphere. At only 3 metres below the surface, you're under pressure of two atmospheres. She is about 15 metres below the surface.
I don't know if they had safety divers on Scuba waiting outside the shot to give her a breath between takes without her having to swim up to the surface and back down again. But having seen other videos by this couple (they take turns filming each other) I do know it would have been no big deal for either of them to do two minute takes at a stretch. Or more. These divers are masters of relaxation."
Many thanks David!
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This is incredible Peter, David; and strangely relatable.
ReplyDeleteI had the luxury of growing up with a suburban pool in the backyard and one of the things I used to love doing was lying on the floor of the pool (only 1-2m down, not 15!) for extended periods and looking up to the surface. There's that strange, exhilarating sensation of absolute serenity, but just one hair-breadth away from the terror that if you got stuck down there for whatever reason it'd all be over. Then there's the dance part of all this. Now I'm much more familiar with ballet these day (Peter you'll know why) I am always in awe of the physicality, the body awareness, the athleticism, the control of it all combined with the beauty and flow of it all -- it's incredible. And here, where so much of the gravity is reduced, the whole expression takes on other-worldly dimensions.
Normally I'd be analysing pieces like this -- trying to work out how the dancer and cinematographer were doing this and when they were taking breathes -- but this was so well put together that I was completely absorbed.
The opening shot framed the whole piece beautifully too, reminding us of the incredible marvel that is the air-breathing, now water-celebrating, human machine.
Great to hear from you on this one Bobby Boy. I too spent some time below the water at the bottom of various public pools and also from the sea floor looking up at the piers above... but never for more than 30- 40 seconds.
ReplyDeleteOn the net there are some wonderul pieces of indigenous peoples who do fishing underwater, freediving, holding their breath for up to 8 minutes.
And there are also other examples of underwater ballet which I'm sure David can lead us to.
Great to have your response Bobby Boy!