Arizona Aqua Stars, Mesa

Take a dance routine, add in some gymnastic lifts, then put it all in the water. That, in a word, is synchronized swimming, and Aqua Stars has introduced girls to the fun, athletic, but still somewhat obscure art form for three decades. The founder, Linda Witter, once coached the U.S. Olympic team, and the coaches have taken many of their young athletes to compete nationally. Once girls have mastered the basics through classes, they can join teams who compete with colorful, costumed aquatic routines.