The art of dancing in the water. Linda Cerruti speaks

“He who dances walks on water and in a flame”. Federico Garcia Lorca could not refer to synchronized, or artistic swimming, as it was renamed five years ago. A matter of timing. Other times. But that walking “on water” and “inside a flame” – prophecy, vision, synthesis, aphorism, or simply poetry – seems perfect. On the water the grace, the elegance, the lightness of the dance; and inside a flame, underwater, the strength, the effort, the energy of sport. On the water the art; and in a flame, underwater, athleticism. On the water the gesture; and within a flame, underwater, movement.

Linda Cerrutithe most representative synchronette of the Italian school, tells thethe art of danced swimming or swim dance: “Flying in the water”. It does this exclusively for The paper as part of the project “At the end of the city 2022” – narratives, art and journeys -, proposed by the Ti con Zero association, with the contribution of Roma Culture and in collaboration with Siae. A three-year project, based on three verbs – turn on, create and fly – and presented in three short films right on the website of the Sheet. In 2020 (turn on) with Giancarlo Peris, the last torchbearer at the 1960 Rome Olympics; in 2021 (create) with Caterina Banti and Ruggero Tita, gold medals in sailing, class Nacra 17, at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics; and in 2022 (flying) with Linda Cerruti, who this year has magically won a silver and two bronzes at the World Championships and a silver at the European Championships.

Twenty-nine years old, from Savona, an athlete who grew up in the Rari Nantes Savona and registered with the Navy, Linda is reflected in the water of the swimming pool: between training and appointments, between music and dance, between the search for error and the study of improvement. Her body, a sculpture that fluctuates and twirls, which she plays and interprets, which twists and turns, defies gravity and buoyancy. And it is a source of inspiration for a new synchro (and synchro) lever. But there were so many. Thanks also to her example and her successes.

For the video interview (shooting by Christian Silvi, editing by Carlo Molinari, the swimming pool of the Rari Nantes Savona), it was the first day of training for Cerruti after those fantastic European Championships and a beach holiday. “I felt the need to go back to the water, because only in the water do I feel free, serene, happy”. “Now two workouts a day await me, one in the gym, the other in the pool. And the training intensifies up to 10 hours a day before the big events, one or two a year, between Europeans, World Championships and Olympics ”. “Single, duo, team … But after Costanza Ferro’s retirement, I have to find a new partner. It will not be easy, after so many years of living together, to recreate that harmony and that synchrony ”. “Our life in the water is all upside down. The one above that becomes below. And the one below that becomes above. And then again below. And then again above. Smiling, as if nothing had happened ”. “Flying in the water, so to speak, but flying with the elegance and lightness of gestures, flying with passion and feelings, flying towards perfection”. In the water, in fact.