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Arts & Entertainment

'Deep People in the Shallow End!'

Candler Park Water Ballet Co. stages its annual slash-happy performance today at 4 p.m.

If you missed last summer’s performance by the Candler Park Water Ballet Company in its resident pool, that’s only because the show was rained out.

So, yes, it’s been too long a wait since the last show in summer 2009.

With the long hot summer and city pools coming to a close, it’s high time for these pool-dancing intown divas to perform their splash-happy routines. The show is set for 4 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Candler Park Pool.

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To watch the show from inside the pool’s chain link fence, you’ll need to pay the $2 admission into the pool. (Good idea: to bring proof that you live in the city).

“You can watch us from the outside side of the fence for free, but who wants to do that?” said Donna Palmer, the group’s self-appointed “director-for-life-unless-you-want-the-job.”

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Since its beginnings in 2008, the water ballet performers have included about 40 women — and two men — who enjoy shimmying and sassy-ing just as much as anyone can. How many will perform this Saturday? Depends on who shows up.

Some will say that the Candler Park Water Ballet Company all started in a Little Five Points bar called the , with two bartenders there tired of the darkness and yearning for sunshine and chlorine-blue waters.

And it is indeed so that Yacht Club mixologists Laura Nolan and Scottie Patterson have been principals with the company since its start. (But also be advised: Everyone’s a star!)

Yacht club origins or not, according to local legend, the water troupe that performs to old gems like “Roll Out the Barrel” and unexpected choices such as the Grateful Dead’s “Uncle John’s Band” (as rendered by Stanford University’s marching band), really got going while running a retreat years ago in Hawaii. They had reportedly been sent to Hawaii’s big island to “help the locals work on the very essence of their beings,” according to an email from one company member-historian.

From there, these dozen or so aqua divas joined a crew embarking on an around-the-world boat race. But a wicked storm landed them on the island of Bora Bora. While there, they studied with an “ancient mystical tribe of water ballerinas.”

“After learning all we could from them,” said the water dancer/historian, “we went on a world tour to spread our message of peace, love, fine cocktails, and the importance of regularly performing water ballet.”

The group loves to entertain at private parties and has even performed for former President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalyn. The general fee for a performance: “Will work for cocktails.” But donations are always welcome. The company’s expenses include tiaras, long strands of fake pearls, pool noodles ($1.37 this week at Target), and Flying Biscuit lunches that sometimes follow pool-hearsals.

The water ballet troupe’s chief mission: “Having fun doing fun-loving moves in cooling waters, and spreading the good word that Life is a Lot Of Fun, so Dont Forget to Enjoy Yourself Every Chance You Get!”

Patti Kunkle, of Ormewood Park, is choreographer.

“I am honored to serve as chief choreographer in residence,” she said. Kunkle, who hails from a performing family, is an enthusiastic yet strong-willed choreographer. She always remembers to shout out “Roll to the left!” or “Right hand in!” or “One-two-three!”

“It never stops being thrilling for me,” Kunkle said. “And it’s wonderful to water-dance with people who have a sunny spirit, and enjoy playing with pool noodles of many different colors.”

Donna Palmer of Candler Park always has to have a purple noodle. Because she’s just sort of all about the color purple.

Frani Green, also of Candler Park, can’t wait to plop into the pool for Saturday’s show.

“From the moment I saw the Candler Park Water Ballet two years ago, I wanted to be in it so bad,” she said. Because of her work schedule conflicts, she “lobbied for other rehearsal times “and yea, it happened! So I’ve learned you should always ask for what you want and you just might get it.”

Requirements for being in the company: Just show up in a swimsuit, a smile and a tiara (tiaras are a must). Also, be willing to take direction. Feel free to throw in your two cents’ worth of advice, but be prepared for your ideas to sink quickly.

Full disclosure: This Patch reporter joined the group this summer, but is unable to perform Saturday due to another booking. But she agrees with longtime company member Judi Holley of Virginia-Highland: “Water ballet is the highlight of my summer weeks!” (Plus, all the pool-hearsals have resulted in the best suntans ever.)

While the show is scheduled for 4 p.m., you are advised that these are pool divas with attitude. They have little if any intention of starting right on time.

Co-founder Laura Nolan is also the group’s “philosopher in residence.” Why? Because she came up with the company slogan: Deep People in the Shallow End.

If you go: Candler Park Pool is in Candler Park, 585 Candler Park Drive NE.

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