Bert Hubbard

Albert Hubbard (born June 29, 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 at the IAAA festival 1996 in Orlando, Florida (USA) in his swim costume to his own choreography Juxtaposed
Bert Hubbard
Hubbard in 1954
Personal information
Birth nameAlbert Hubbard
Born (1927-06-29) June 29, 1927
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Websitewww.aquatic-art.org
Sport
SportSwimming
Medal record
Synchronized swimming
Representing  United States
Gold medal – first place1949 U.S. National AAU Synchronized Swimming ChampionshipsDuet
Gold medal – first place1954 U.S. Junior National ChampionshipsSolo

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]

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
  • Robert E. Kerper: Splash - Aquatic Shows from A to Z (published by Michael Zielinsky, 2002)[4]
  • Beulah Gundling: Exploring Aquatic Art, International Academy of Aquatic Art, 1963.[5]
  • Beulah Gundling: Dancing in the Water, International Academy of Aquatic Art, 1976.[6]
  • Dawn Pawson Bean: Synchronized swimming - An American history. McFarland Company Inc. Publishers, Jefferson (North Carolina, USA), 2005.[7]
  • Johanna Beisteiner: Art music in figure skating, synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics/Kunstmusik in Eiskunstlauf, Synchronschwimmen und rhythmischer Gymnastik. PhD thesis, Vienna 2005, (German). Contains information about Bert Hubbard and the IAAA (Chapter I/2: History of synchronized swimming, pages 40–55).[8]

References
  1. Synchro History - A compilation by Sue Edwards, 2010.
  2. Synchronized Swimming History Archived 2012-07-11 at the Wayback Machine 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. Archived 2012-01-12 at the Wayback Machine PhD thesis by Johanna Beisteiner, Vienna 2005. pages 45-48.
  4. 2009 Buck Dawson Authors Award Archived 2010-11-24 at the Wayback Machine. 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 information about the IAAA.
  7. E-Book on Google website. Contains information about Bert Hubbard on page 51.
  8. Article about the PhD thesis Archived 2012-01-12 at the Wayback Machine by Johanna Beisteiner in the catalogue of the Austrian Library Network. 2005. (German and English)
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