Mermaid School 'World of Swimming' Makes a Splash

Swimmers of all ages channel their inner mermaid at the Brooklyn swim school.

ByABC News
July 30, 2015, 10:12 AM

— -- This class is making a big splash with anyone willing to dive in.

The life of “The Little Mermaid” is becoming a reality here in New York City where kids and adults can attend a brand new mermaid school called the “World of Swimming,” taught by Estonian swimming champ, Merle Liivand, at Saint Francis College in Brooklyn Heights.

As the “head mermaid,” Liivand explains that some of the skills you’ll learn in the course are mermaid kicking, mermaid navigating, mermaid swimming and even how to kiss like a mermaid, which means blowing kisses with bubbles.

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Students learn all the basic techniques of swimming while embracing their inner mermaid or merman.

One little girl in the class offered sage advice for how to best get in touch with your new tail.

“If you don’t know how, believe, and you will,” she confidently said.

After dipping your colorful tails into the water, you’ll begin warming up with some classic mermaid kicks while holding on to the side of the pool. But it’s not only about what’s happening above water. The mermaid moves flow underwater too, as you “study the mechanic of the water creatures’ movements,” their website explains, to “become a more intuitive swimmer.”

And as for the best part of Liivand’s job?

“To be around people who are scared of water, and seeing them become water lovers and seeing that smile, you can’t put that into words,” she said.