A SYNCHRONISED swimming spectacular – recreating the spectacular 30s and 40s musicals of Busby Berkeley - is set to dazzle audiences in East Lancashire.

Rehearsals are underway for two performances of ‘Synchronised’, an imaginative recreation of the glitzy Hollywood set pieces seen in films such as 42nd Street, Footlight Parade and Girl Crazy.

The promoters have recruited local participants ‘with strong swimming skills’ and have been working in both pools and studios to fine tune the finished work.

Audiences including the swimmers’ families will be able to see the fruits of their labours when Synchronised hits the water at Darwen Leisure Centre on June 7 and St Peter’s Leisure Centre in Burnley the following night.

Originally the water-based performance was devised for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, which ran alongside the London Olympic games, and is based around traditional on Indian Kathak dance.

Last August the Balbir Singh Dance Company received £150,000 from the Arts Council to stage the production in four locations – Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Leicester and London.

Mr Singh, artistic director for the Huddersfield-based company, said: “Synchronised has at its heart arts and culture. We are excited to take this project out on tour, where we can use its water-based platform to bring new people to enjoy an artistic, multi-cultural experience.”

Pete Massey, Arts Council England’s acting northern director, added: “It is really great to see a project created for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad having a new lease of life and creating a f lasting legacy.