Bert Hubbard

Bert Hubbard

Bert Hubbard at the IAAA festival 1996 in Orlando, Florida (USA) in his swim costume to his own choreography Juxtaposed
Born Albert Hubbard
(1927-06-29) June 29, 1927
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Other names Bert Hubbard
Occupation Synchronized Swimmer,
Aquatic Artist, Choreographer, Historian, Coach, teacher
Years active 1946-present
Website http://www.aquatic-art.org/
Bert Hubbard
Medal record
Synchronized swimming
Representing the  United States
1949 U.S. National AAU Synchronized Swimming Championships Duet
1954 U.S. Junior National Championships Solo

Bert Hubbard (born Albert Hubbard, 29 June 1927) is an American synchronized swimmer, choreographer and coach. He is also an aquatic artist as well as historian of the International Academy of Aquatic Art.

Bert Hubbard (left), Joan Hinderstein (middle) and Richard Proctor (right) in 1960 in Bert Hubbard’s own choreography “Othello” after Giuseppe Verdi’s opera
Bert Hubbard in 1954 as winner of the US Junior National Solo Championships in the swim costume for his solo program “Viking's prayer before battle”

Sportive career 1946-1954

Hubbard started synchronized swimming shortly after it was introduced in his birth town Detroit in 1946 by swimmers from Chicago. In 1949 he won the first Men's AAU Synchronised Swimming competition in the duet St.Louis Blues March with Lee Embrey.[1] As male soloist he became the US Junior National Champion in 1954 with A Viking's Prayer Before Battle.[2] Because the AAU rules would not allow men and women to swim together in duet and teams as they had from the origination of synchro in Chicago the sport became primarily a women's activity. Because of the rules of international synchronized swimming competitions, where also only women are allowed, Bert Hubbard could not participate in international championships, either.

1955-present: Aquatic Artist, choreographer and historian

With the introduction of the International Academy of Aquatic Art (IAAA) in 1955 men were welcomed in synchronized swimming events, and Hubbard created and performed as aquatic artist until 2009 in various compositions, especially solos, at many IAAA festivals throughout North America. In 1960 he choreographed two mixed trios Othello after Verdi's Otello and A Medieval Morality that were the first to receive top honors from IAAA in that category.[3] At that festival he presented the first male solo A World of Silence to be awarded First Class Honors from the IAAA. As the historian of the IAAA he documents the organization's history and artistic activities, and shares such information in IAAA's newsletter The Aquatic Artist.

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Synchro History - A compilation by Sue Edwards, 2010.
  2. ↑ Synchronized Swimming History on the official website of United States Synchronized Swimming, 2010.
  3. ↑ Art music in figure skating, synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics/Kunstmusik in Eiskunstlauf, Synchronschwimmen und rhythmischer Gymnastik. PhD thesis by Johanna Beisteiner, Vienna 2005. pages 45-48.
  4. ↑ 2009 Buck Dawson Authors Award. Information about the book by R.E. Kerper on the official website of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, 2009.
  5. ↑ Information about the book by Gundling on Google website. Contains descriptions about five choreographies by Bert Hubbard.
  6. ↑ Information about the book by Gundling on Google website. Contains informations about the IAAA.
  7. ↑ E-Book on Google website. Contains information about Bert Hubbard on page 51.
  8. ↑ Article about the PhD thesis by Johanna Beisteiner in the catalogue of the Austrian Library Network. 2005. (German and English)

External links

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