Underwater Dance in Indonesia: What It Is and How to Start
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Underwater dance is a performance discipline, not a mermaid course. It is danced without a monofin, in water around 2.3 metres deep, and it is judged on line, control and expression rather than on speed or depth. DiveArts Academy teaches it in Jakarta and Bali.
How it differs from mermaid training
The two are often confused. A mermaid course teaches you to swim in a tail with a monofin, and the technique is built around the dolphin kick. Underwater dance uses the free body: legs apart, arms leading, weight and buoyancy managed so you can hold a shape while submerged. Many of our students train both, but they are taught apart and they reward different things. If you already dance on land, underwater dance will feel closer to what you know than mermaiding will.
What you need before you start
Solid swimming ability. This is the one requirement we do not bend on, because the work happens off the wall and off the bottom, and you need to be comfortable in deep water before you can think about how you look in it. No prior underwater performance experience is expected. Every student completes a health declaration before entering the water, and where the answers call for it we ask for a doctor's clearance.
Certification
Our underwater dance training is recognised by MFI, Mermaid Federation International. All DiveArts instructors are PADI certified. Which certification applies depends on the course you take, so ask us before booking if a specific card matters to you.
The courses
- Underwater Dance Trial Course, a single session to find out whether the discipline suits you.
- Underwater Dance Beginner Course, the foundation: breath comfort, buoyancy control, holding position, basic phrasing.
- Underwater Dance Advanced Course, for students building repertoire and working toward performance.
- Private Training for Mermaid and Underwater Dance, one to one, useful if you are preparing a specific piece or competing.
- Regular Training for Mermaid and Underwater Dance, ongoing sessions for students who already have the basics.
What we work on
Breath control, so that a phrase is not cut short by the need to surface. Buoyancy, so a held shape stays held instead of drifting. Line and extension, which read differently underwater than on land because the resistance is constant and the light bends. Entry and exit from the frame, which matters as soon as a camera is involved. Choreography, once the body can do what the piece asks of it.
Where we teach
In Jakarta we work at pools including GBK Aquatic Stadium, Hotel Borobudur, TDC, Sepolwan, Citos, Cakra and Ody, and at Aquatic in Bogor. In Bali we teach at The Cakra Hotel Sanur, at our Tabanan studio, and at Varuna Aquarium. Depth matters for this discipline, so the venue is chosen to fit the level you are training at.
Performing and competing
Underwater dance is what most of our performance and event work is built on. DiveArts Productions supplies performers for events and aquarium shows, and we run competition preparation for students who want to compete. If your reason for training is a stage rather than a certificate, say so at the start and the coaching is shaped around it.
Prices and schedules
Current prices for every course are on our DiveArts Academy catalog. Schedules depend on the pool and the city. Message us on WhatsApp at +62 858 5893 5464 or email info@diveartsacademy.com and we will confirm the next available dates.