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[light chatter, laughter]
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Smile!
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[dramatic music plays]
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[children chattering]
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[children exclaiming]
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[music ends]
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Oh my God.
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[groans in pain]
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[moans softly]
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We checked the pH.
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Did the pH get changed?
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[woman] Chase down the pool guy.Make sure he didn't put too much chlorine.
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-Open. Open more.-[woman] Force your eye open.
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How do we find an eye wash station?
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[moaning, whimpering]
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[whimpering groans]
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Ah… fuck!
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[groans, screams]
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-["Black Sea" by Natasha Blume plays]-♪ Come down to the Black Sea ♪
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♪ Swimming with me ♪
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♪ Ah-ooh-ooh ♪
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{\an8}♪ Ooh-ooh ♪
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{\an8}♪ Come down to the Black Sea ♪
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{\an8}♪ Swimming with me ♪
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{\an8}♪ Ah-ooh-ooh ♪
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{\an8}♪ Go down with me, fall with me ♪
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{\an8}♪ Let's make it worth it ♪
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{\an8}♪ Ah-ooh-ooh ♪
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{\an8}♪ You rise, I fall ♪
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{\an8}♪ I stand, you crawl ♪
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{\an8}♪ You twist, I turn ♪
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{\an8}♪ Who's the first to burn? ♪
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{\an8}♪ You sit and stay ♪
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{\an8}♪ I don't obey ♪
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{\an8}♪ Where do we land? ♪
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{\an8}♪ In the Black Sea ♪
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{\an8}♪ Ooh-ooh ♪
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{\an8}♪ In the Black Sea ♪
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♪ Where do we land? ♪
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♪ In the Black Sea ♪
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[slow, percussive music playing]
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Twenty years ago,I was the first professional
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freelance mermaid in the world.
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[cameras clicking]
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Now, there's thousands around the world.
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[upbeat percussive music playing]
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[man 1] Mermaiding is growingat an exponential rate.
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[woman 1] This isa half-billion-dollar industry.
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[cheering]
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There are pageants, conventions.
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There are competitions, auditions, shows.
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There is mermaiding going onprobably in your own backyard
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if you know where to find it.
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[light clapping]
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[crowd exclaims]
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The thing that frustrates meabout the public perception
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of professional mermaidsis that we're just playing dress-up.
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You're gonna invest thousandsof dollars in the equipment,
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hundreds of hours of time in the training,
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and your first gig might pay $100.
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[light clapping]
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[whale call echoes]
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At its core, mermaiding is a danger art.
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[Hannah] Holding your breath,blurry vision, dangerous animals,
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ocean currents,being so cold all the time. [chuckles]
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[woman 1] I get emailsfrom people telling me
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they want to be a professional mermaid,and my first thought is,
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"Oh, you have no ideawhat you're getting yourself into."
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{\an8}♪ Beautiful dreamer ♪
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♪ Wake unto me ♪
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♪ Starlight and dewdropsAre waiting for thee ♪
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♪ For thee ♪
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[mermaid 1] Being a full-time
professional mermaid is a rare thing.
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I think I'm one of the few whoactually get to do something like this.
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And while it definitelyis a dream job, it is hard.
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[mermaid 2] It takes more than
a costume to become a mermaid.
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You need to have amazing swimming skills,breath-hold skills, personality skills.
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You have to have a specific look.
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[mermaid 1] If you train hard,
and you're good enough,
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and you nail one of these auditions,yeah, you could get a job at an aquarium.
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There's venues and jobs available.
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But for every opening,there are thousands of mermaids applying.
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[tense music builds slowly]
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[whimsical music playing]
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[Sparkles] I am in Arkansas.
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And unfortunately, in Arkansas,
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I'm just shit out of luckwhen it comes to being a mermaid here.
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Really doing what I want to do,and that is be an underwater performer.
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We're reaching. Let's go here. Four sets.
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Three!
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[Sparkles] I'm always lookingfor more ways to grow as a mermaid.
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And I can't really grow muchas a mermaid in Arkansas
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'cause I feel likeI'm trapped in this box.
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I'm a landlocked mermaid.
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["Chica Mexica" playing]
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As far as I know,I was the only Arkansas mermaid.
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Until I met Mermaid Pixi.
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Now, how do I make a bigger splash?
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'Cause it's like,I know I can do the headstand, but…
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[Sparkles] Pixi and I have developeda really great mermaid friendship.
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-Sorry!-[both laughing]
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We call each other "seasters." [chuckles]
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And together we dowhatever we can to mermaid.
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We have four inches.I didn't think it'd be this full.
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I know.
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Jog with that.
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[Sparkles] Most poolsdo not allow mermaid tails.
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They see it as a safety issue.
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But there is this one poolthat occasionally lets us swim
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in this little corner while they're doingwater aerobics classes.
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[instructor] Imagineyour midsection is a washcloth.
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-Three!-[women exclaim]
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[Sparkles] You know,we take what we can get.
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[song fades out]
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[bell dings]
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[indistinct chatter]
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[Sparkles] I was probably around 11,
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and, uh, my stepdad at the time,
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he said to me,
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"You know, there's this place in Floridacalled Weeki Wachee Springs
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where they have mermaid shows."
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And the moment he saidthe words "mermaid shows,"
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it just hit me like a ton of bricks.
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Mermaid shows?
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Wait, I could potentially grow upand get paid to be a mermaid?
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That's a job?
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Best job I ever had.
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["I Tried Not to Cry" playing]
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{\an8}[Arlene] Where do I start? Fairy tale.
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{\an8}♪ I tried not to cry ♪
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I wanted to be a mermaid. I got my wish.
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I was a Weeki Wachee mermaidfrom 1967 to 1968.
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♪ I cry, cry, cry ♪
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[song ends]
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[gentle music plays]
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If I could do it again,I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
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Because Weeki Wachee
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is one of the most magical placeson the face of this Earth.
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["When You Are Near Me" playing]
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[woman 2] When you drive to Weeki Wachee,they've got all those mermaids out front,
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and all those big flagpoles,and then there's the big statue
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{\an8}with the Adagio on top,and it's just like… [gasps]
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{\an8}"What is this place?"
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[male narrator]Fed by a huge underwater spring,
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Weeki Wachee has the largestunderwater theater in the world.
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Millions of people enjoythe fascinating beauty
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{\an8}of this submerged theater wonderland
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at Weeki Wachee Springs,Florida's underwater Grand Canyon.
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{\an8}"Weeki Wachee" means "winding water."
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Weeki Wachee was a huge spring
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just out in the middle of nowhere.
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[Crystal] And that watercoming up out of there
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is so pristine and pure and ancient.
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It's like being in the wombof Mother Earth.
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[bubbles roiling]
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There is something magical,absolutely magical about that water.
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[enchanting music playing]
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[Barbara] I went in and saw the show,
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and I was just blown away.
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And I knew I had to do it.
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I walked into Weeki Wachee as a tourist.
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{\an8}I walked out of Weeki Wacheeat 13 as a transformed…
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{\an8}"Get out of my way.I don't know how I'm gonna do that,
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{\an8}but it's gonna happen."
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[exciting music playing]
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[Crystal] I was 17 years old.
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And, at that time, a girl's placewas to be a wife and a mother.
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We were outside the box.
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{\an8}We were mermaidsbefore it was "the thing" to be a mermaid.
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We were the dream of the little girl.
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To me there was just nothing else like it.I get goose bumps just talking about it
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'cause it's just reallyso very special to me.
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Why do I need geometry?I'm gonna be a mermaid.
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[music ends]
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[Arlene] I would do anything to be ableto go back into that fairy tale.
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[tense music builds slowly]
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[upbeat music plays]
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[Ché] I'm Mermaid Chè Monique.I am a mermaid model
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and the founderof the Society of Fat Mermaids,
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{\an8}which is a size-inclusive communitydesigned to celebrate fat bodies.
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Normally when I'm in a merspace,people are really excited to see me.
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Everybody's so pretty!
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Like, it's not uncommonfor people to cry when they meet me.
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Excuse me…
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Are you Chè Monique?
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[Ché] I am.
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My family told me thatthere was no such thing as a fat mermaid.
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[Ché] We know that's not true.
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I know!
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I follow you on TikTok, Instagram.It's an honor to meet you.
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[Ché] Oh, thank you!
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You just make it okay for me to be me.
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-[Ché] Oh.-And I love you for that. Can I hug you?
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[Ché] Absolutely! Thank you so much!
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-[fan] Thank you.-[Ché] You're so sweet.
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I do a lot of, like,what I call mertivational videos,
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where I might go on TikTok and be like…
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I love you all.
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I… love how dedicated we all are
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to making the larger world
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and our merworld a safeand magical place for each other.
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These merjobs require so much of you.
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Like, from trainingto just, like, the physical demand.
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And I've been working on,like, my mermaid push-ups,
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doing tricep dips,and doing everything I can,
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because I would love to jointhe Circus Siren Pod.
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{\an8}They are like this elitemermaid performance troupe.
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As a whole, they're intimidating.
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I used to call themthe mean girl mermaids.
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I decided, "If I'm going to be one,I'd better stop calling them that."
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They kinda justprotect their brand in a way,
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and part of their brand isthat they are, like, exclusive and elite.
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But, like, they kind of are.
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[tense music builds slowly]
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[folksy guitar music plays]
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{\an8}I've always really railed againstthe concept of being elite,
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and yet it seems to have happened anyway.[chuckling] Whether I want it or not.
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I think what makes us different is justthat we really care about the art form
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and what artistry and magicwe're putting into the world.
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My performers aremore about creating a world
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the public's not gonnaget to experience anywhere else
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than about the personalwish fulfillment of being mermaids.
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The reality of mermaidingis it's really physically demanding,
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and it takes years of trainingto do this properly.
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When you mermaid professionally,
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you are weighed downby the tail and the water.
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You are unable to breathe.
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You are blind underwater.You're deaf underwater.
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And your job is to make it lookeasy and magical.
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-I thought that was pretty excellent.-Well, thank you.
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[Morgana] Most people who get intoprofessional mermaiding are working
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{\an8}one to two other jobs to supportjust the entry ramp into mermaiding.
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Shello!
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[woman 4] Oh, Mother.
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-Shello. Shello.-[background laughter]
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[Morgana] It's only every couple of yearsthat we actually do auditions.
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If I had the work, I'd hire all of them.I want everyone to live this dream,
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but I only have so many clientsand so many tanks to fill.
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All right, welcome to our auditions!
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[light cheering]
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Congratulations on making it this far.There were 54 applicants,
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uh, and less than 20 of yougot invited to audition.
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It was already some fierce competition,
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and I'm really excited to seewhat all you guys can do.
245
00:15:08,782 --> 00:15:10,951
Who knows the first rule of my company?
246
00:15:11,035 --> 00:15:13,162
-[woman 5] No dead mermaids.-No dead mermaids.
247
00:15:13,245 --> 00:15:14,079
[light laughter]
248
00:15:14,163 --> 00:15:16,874
The first half is gonna bea lot of just exertion,
249
00:15:16,957 --> 00:15:19,835
and, I'm going to be honest,to wear you out a bit.
250
00:15:19,919 --> 00:15:21,086
What we do is pretty hard.
251
00:15:21,170 --> 00:15:24,173
I want to see that we've gotthe endurance built up to get through it.
252
00:15:24,256 --> 00:15:27,760
All right, guys, you can go aheadand get in your tail, and get in the pool.
253
00:15:27,843 --> 00:15:30,262
[rapid percussive music plays]
254
00:15:30,346 --> 00:15:32,765
Everybody in the deep end.We're treading water.
255
00:15:32,848 --> 00:15:36,810
This is one of the most dangerous,difficult art forms I've ever done.
256
00:15:36,894 --> 00:15:40,314
Here's what we're gonna be doingthis time. Backflip down the wall,
257
00:15:40,397 --> 00:15:42,650
underwater return.All right, let's see it.
258
00:15:43,233 --> 00:15:46,028
At the level we're doing,the depths we're doing it at,
259
00:15:46,111 --> 00:15:49,740
it takes an incredible amount of skill,an incredible amount of training.
260
00:15:49,823 --> 00:15:53,410
This is a longer combination.It's a three-skill combination.
261
00:15:53,494 --> 00:15:55,162
What I want is from the deep end,
262
00:15:55,245 --> 00:15:57,665
gonna do a pencil dive down,so vertical entry,
263
00:15:57,748 --> 00:16:01,502
then I want a front flipand barrel roll as you surface.
264
00:16:12,888 --> 00:16:17,685
All right, when you surface, you're gonnaput your hands on the side of the pool,
265
00:16:17,768 --> 00:16:20,729
and you're gonna lift upand get your butt on the side of the pool.
266
00:16:23,816 --> 00:16:27,194
Other side. Very nice.Thank you so much, number two.
267
00:16:31,949 --> 00:16:33,158
All right.
268
00:16:33,993 --> 00:16:34,994
Thank you.
269
00:16:35,077 --> 00:16:37,079
[mermaids clapping]
270
00:16:37,579 --> 00:16:40,708
You can go aheadand de-tail, dry off, warm up.
271
00:16:40,791 --> 00:16:43,210
We're gonna meetand discuss our observations.
272
00:16:44,461 --> 00:16:47,506
I would suggest maybe doingweightlifting or something else
273
00:16:47,589 --> 00:16:49,508
to build the muscle and the endurance.
274
00:16:49,591 --> 00:16:52,678
I think it's mostly juststrength-building and polish.
275
00:16:52,761 --> 00:16:56,515
Your backstroke-backflip-returnwas a little rough.
276
00:16:56,598 --> 00:16:57,766
-Okay.-You got through it.
277
00:16:57,850 --> 00:17:00,102
Wait. Is that the timeI hit my face against the wall?
278
00:17:00,185 --> 00:17:01,645
-No, that was a different time.-Okay.
279
00:17:01,729 --> 00:17:05,858
The biggest concern is being ableto lift yourself out of the pool.
280
00:17:05,941 --> 00:17:09,278
It's a strength and practice thing,but for us, it's a safety thing
281
00:17:09,361 --> 00:17:12,990
'cause you have to be able to get outof the tank under your own power.
282
00:17:13,073 --> 00:17:15,075
[light instrumental music playing]
283
00:17:22,374 --> 00:17:25,753
Mermaid tail-makingis still very much a cottage industry.
284
00:17:25,836 --> 00:17:29,381
And people get very loyalto their tail-makers.
285
00:17:29,465 --> 00:17:33,302
There's even entire performance podswhere they specifically only ever use
286
00:17:33,385 --> 00:17:36,847
this tail-maker or that tail-maker,and that's part of their look.
287
00:17:37,556 --> 00:17:42,519
Three of the bigger companies out thereare Merbella, MerNation, and Mertailor.
288
00:17:43,062 --> 00:17:46,440
And Mertailor was actuallyone of my earlier inspirations.
289
00:17:46,523 --> 00:17:48,942
I remember before I boughtmy first mermaid tail,
290
00:17:49,026 --> 00:17:51,695
looking at Mertailor's photosand being like,
291
00:17:51,779 --> 00:17:55,324
"One day…One day I will afford that kind of tail,
292
00:17:55,407 --> 00:17:58,786
and I will go to that artist,and I'm going to get my tail."
293
00:17:58,869 --> 00:18:00,871
[tense music builds slowly]
294
00:18:05,084 --> 00:18:07,086
[chill music playing]
295
00:18:07,169 --> 00:18:10,672
{\an8}[Eric] I am Eric Ducharme.Also known as the Mertailor.
296
00:18:21,016 --> 00:18:24,061
I would love to be the biggesttail-maker in the entire world.
297
00:18:31,652 --> 00:18:35,572
I feel there's a senseof creating the industry.
298
00:18:35,656 --> 00:18:36,865
[cameras clicking]
299
00:18:41,078 --> 00:18:44,331
And I want to see Mertailor on top.
300
00:18:44,414 --> 00:18:46,917
And be like, "Wow, Mertailor."
301
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,670
"Mermaid tail, Mertailor.Mermaid tail, Mertailor."
302
00:18:50,254 --> 00:18:51,463
I want to see that.
303
00:18:51,547 --> 00:18:53,549
[sprayer hissing]
304
00:19:01,390 --> 00:19:02,975
[dramatic music playing]
305
00:19:03,559 --> 00:19:06,937
I will never forgetmy first visit to Weeki Wachee.
306
00:19:09,857 --> 00:19:12,401
I was sitting in the underwater theater.
307
00:19:12,484 --> 00:19:15,237
The hues of bluejust started trickling in,
308
00:19:16,321 --> 00:19:17,948
and all of a sudden…
309
00:19:18,490 --> 00:19:20,492
[shimmering tones]
310
00:19:20,576 --> 00:19:22,578
[enchanting music playing]
311
00:19:22,661 --> 00:19:26,039
I just was so captivated at that moment.
312
00:19:27,833 --> 00:19:32,754
And then this enchanting mermaidjust swam by and stopped, blew a kiss,
313
00:19:32,838 --> 00:19:35,549
and then more mermaids appear.
314
00:19:36,592 --> 00:19:39,303
And that was the ta-da moment.
315
00:19:39,386 --> 00:19:41,388
[bubbles roiling]
316
00:19:41,889 --> 00:19:44,683
That was the moment where
317
00:19:45,684 --> 00:19:47,019
I became the Mertailor.
318
00:19:49,229 --> 00:19:52,316
I was obsessed with Weeki Wachee Springs.
319
00:19:52,816 --> 00:19:54,985
I wanted to be there all the time.
320
00:19:55,068 --> 00:19:59,156
Mermaids became my entire lifeat a really young age.
321
00:20:00,574 --> 00:20:02,868
{\an8}Growing up, Eric had a lot of challenges.
322
00:20:04,536 --> 00:20:06,788
[Eric] I was a very artistic child.
323
00:20:07,831 --> 00:20:10,709
[Candy] We realized early onthat Eric had Tourette's syndrome.
324
00:20:12,044 --> 00:20:16,882
[Eric] Classmates were very rude,cruel, judgmental.
325
00:20:17,966 --> 00:20:21,386
I didn't have a lot of friends.I just stayed away from people.
326
00:20:26,767 --> 00:20:28,936
[Candy] By about four or five,
327
00:20:29,019 --> 00:20:32,147
he was wrapping his legs upwith fabric of some sort.
328
00:20:32,940 --> 00:20:35,234
Then it became plastic bags and tape.
329
00:20:37,986 --> 00:20:39,988
[Eric] As the years went by,
330
00:20:40,072 --> 00:20:42,366
I started to get to know the mermaids
331
00:20:42,449 --> 00:20:44,910
through standing in the theaterand talking to them.
332
00:20:44,993 --> 00:20:46,954
It's like, "Oh, Eric's here again."
333
00:20:47,037 --> 00:20:50,207
{\an8}He was always hanging outwith us older girls.
334
00:20:51,375 --> 00:20:54,336
And it was sweet,and we certainly took him in.
335
00:20:55,128 --> 00:20:58,632
He'd be there when we werechoreographing all of our numbers.
336
00:20:59,258 --> 00:21:02,886
[Eric] And I really wanted a tail.I really wanted a tail.
337
00:21:04,054 --> 00:21:08,058
I met Barbara Wynns.She was the mermaid queen.
338
00:21:09,059 --> 00:21:12,437
{\an8}The first time I met Eric,I was sitting in the back of the theater.
339
00:21:12,521 --> 00:21:15,774
He walks up beside meand he's sitting there going,
340
00:21:15,857 --> 00:21:19,903
"Miss Barbara, can I have a tail?"And I'm like, "What?"
341
00:21:20,570 --> 00:21:25,242
[Eric] And I remember there wasa destroyed tail that had no zipper.
342
00:21:25,742 --> 00:21:29,079
I went to the scrap piles,grabbed it out, and I said,
343
00:21:29,162 --> 00:21:32,207
"Put this in your backpack.And don't you ever bring it back."
344
00:21:33,166 --> 00:21:35,544
[Eric] And I was just beyond thrilled.
345
00:21:36,253 --> 00:21:39,798
Brought it home, fixed it up,and that became the tail.
346
00:21:41,675 --> 00:21:43,343
That's just how it started.
347
00:21:45,804 --> 00:21:49,266
When I had the abilityto sew and make tails,
348
00:21:49,349 --> 00:21:51,018
I would bring them for the girls.
349
00:21:51,101 --> 00:21:54,187
They would put on the tailsand wear them during the show,
350
00:21:54,271 --> 00:21:56,315
and they would bring them back to me.
351
00:21:57,441 --> 00:22:02,029
Then at 16, I was offered a position inthe underwater theater to be a performer.
352
00:22:02,571 --> 00:22:05,073
That was unheard ofbecause you had to be 18 years old
353
00:22:05,157 --> 00:22:06,867
to be a performer at Weeki Wachee.
354
00:22:08,994 --> 00:22:10,996
[uplifting music playing]
355
00:22:15,625 --> 00:22:19,546
I know I've watched this boy just evolve.
356
00:22:20,881 --> 00:22:23,508
And see this brilliance come out,
357
00:22:23,592 --> 00:22:28,013
and to see how calmhis body gets when he's in control.
358
00:22:32,851 --> 00:22:37,314
He's totally in commandof his body and of the Tourette's.
359
00:22:39,649 --> 00:22:41,276
You-- You would never know.
360
00:22:54,664 --> 00:22:57,209
{\an8}[Sparkles] At a very young age,I started doing research on
361
00:22:57,292 --> 00:22:59,669
{\an8}how do I start this path.
362
00:23:01,380 --> 00:23:04,341
How do I become a Weeki Wachee mermaid?
363
00:23:06,385 --> 00:23:08,387
So, I emailed them directly.
364
00:23:10,263 --> 00:23:12,307
They never replied to me.
365
00:23:15,060 --> 00:23:18,772
And ultimately, eventually,it evolved past just Weeki Wachee.
366
00:23:18,855 --> 00:23:23,110
It became more of a personalcareer path that I dream of.
367
00:23:26,238 --> 00:23:27,489
[knocking at door]
368
00:23:33,537 --> 00:23:35,497
-Hey!-Hey. Thank you so much for doing this.
369
00:23:35,580 --> 00:23:36,456
[man] Yeah, totally.
370
00:23:36,540 --> 00:23:39,000
[Sparkles] Okay,so here's your pirate hat.
371
00:23:39,084 --> 00:23:41,336
I have your little bagof pirate loot here.
372
00:23:41,420 --> 00:23:42,504
[man] Some doubloons.
373
00:23:42,587 --> 00:23:45,674
You can give that awayto kids freely if they approach you.
374
00:23:47,217 --> 00:23:48,427
-Oh!-[Sparkles] Oh, wait.
375
00:23:48,510 --> 00:23:50,595
-The handle just snapped off.-[Sparkles] Dang it!
376
00:23:50,679 --> 00:23:52,097
That's gonna make it really hard.
377
00:23:52,180 --> 00:23:54,391
-[pensive music plays]-[Sparkles grunts]
378
00:23:54,474 --> 00:23:56,435
[Sparkles] As a mermaid in Arkansas,
379
00:23:56,518 --> 00:24:00,313
there's really justnot much work here for me.
380
00:24:00,981 --> 00:24:04,443
But wheneverI really put myself out there,
381
00:24:04,526 --> 00:24:06,695
I can get party gigs.
382
00:24:06,778 --> 00:24:09,281
But they don't really pay the bills.
383
00:24:10,866 --> 00:24:13,243
This is where it gets tricky.We've arrived a little late,
384
00:24:13,326 --> 00:24:17,289
and I'm already seeing kids,and I really don't like them to see me
385
00:24:18,039 --> 00:24:19,624
before I get my tail on.
386
00:24:20,834 --> 00:24:22,210
[children squealing]
387
00:24:22,294 --> 00:24:23,795
[girl] Over here!
388
00:24:23,879 --> 00:24:25,380
[children chattering]
389
00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,845
[Sparkles] So you can pullthe zipper up by using the string.
390
00:24:31,928 --> 00:24:34,055
Once the zipper is all the way to the top,
391
00:24:34,139 --> 00:24:38,351
you want to tuck…this back into the tail, okay?
392
00:24:38,435 --> 00:24:39,269
Okay.
393
00:24:47,027 --> 00:24:48,028
All right.
394
00:24:51,740 --> 00:24:53,408
I got the string right here.
395
00:24:53,492 --> 00:24:54,493
Here.
396
00:24:55,243 --> 00:24:56,244
Here.
397
00:24:57,454 --> 00:24:58,955
-[Sparkles] Oh no, did it break?-Yeah.
398
00:24:59,039 --> 00:25:02,584
[Sparkles groans] Why is everythingbreaking today? I'll figure it out.
399
00:25:02,667 --> 00:25:06,588
[man] No, like, it came off the zipper.Like, um, the zipper broke on one side.
400
00:25:06,671 --> 00:25:08,173
[Sparkles gasps] Shut up.
401
00:25:08,256 --> 00:25:09,758
[man] No, like, seriously.
402
00:25:09,841 --> 00:25:12,052
[Sparkles] No… way.
403
00:25:12,552 --> 00:25:13,512
[sighs]
404
00:25:13,595 --> 00:25:14,971
[children chattering]
405
00:25:15,055 --> 00:25:16,806
[Sparkles] There's no way to fix that.
406
00:25:18,099 --> 00:25:20,060
Are you kidding me right now?
407
00:25:20,143 --> 00:25:21,686
[man] You live 15 minutes away.
408
00:25:21,770 --> 00:25:24,439
I can run home… run to your placeand grab another one.
409
00:25:24,523 --> 00:25:25,357
[sighs]
410
00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,776
-[keys jangling]-You're gonna need my house key.
411
00:25:29,277 --> 00:25:33,156
-Oh my God. This is horrible.-[man] Okay, here. I'll run, real quick.
412
00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:34,366
-I'll be back.-[sighs]
413
00:25:39,162 --> 00:25:40,372
[sighs deeply]
414
00:25:42,666 --> 00:25:44,876
I don't know what she's doing.
415
00:25:45,877 --> 00:25:47,003
Um…
416
00:25:51,883 --> 00:25:54,094
It looks like she's kind of stressed out.
417
00:25:54,928 --> 00:25:58,306
Mermaid lesson one thousand,one million, gazillion.
418
00:25:58,848 --> 00:26:01,351
Always bring an extra tail to a paid gig.
419
00:26:01,434 --> 00:26:02,477
Always.
420
00:26:02,561 --> 00:26:05,772
-[kids] Mermaid, mermaid, mermaid!-I found another one.
421
00:26:05,855 --> 00:26:08,733
Oh my gosh.All these kids are gonna leave.
422
00:26:08,817 --> 00:26:11,111
They're gonna leavebefore the mermaid comes out.
423
00:26:13,446 --> 00:26:17,826
It's broken. I can't… I can't wear it.And I can't go out there without the tail.
424
00:26:17,909 --> 00:26:21,913
Without the tail, I'm just a girlin a wig and some leggings.
425
00:26:24,666 --> 00:26:26,668
[gentle music playing]
426
00:26:27,877 --> 00:26:29,671
I always wanted to be a mermaid.
427
00:26:30,630 --> 00:26:33,049
Though it wasn't easy for me growing up.
428
00:26:34,009 --> 00:26:37,679
My mom and dad divorcedwhen I was just a baby,
429
00:26:37,762 --> 00:26:41,725
and my dad went into prisonwhen I was pretty young.
430
00:26:43,602 --> 00:26:46,730
The weight of the world can be so intense.
431
00:26:46,813 --> 00:26:48,565
You know, day-to-day life,
432
00:26:49,441 --> 00:26:52,235
and Mermaid Sparklesis an escape from all that.
433
00:26:57,824 --> 00:27:03,747
It really makes me feel like I'm makinga difference in the world somehow.
434
00:27:06,791 --> 00:27:10,295
I feel like I have purpose.
435
00:27:12,589 --> 00:27:15,133
I feel like a ray of sunshine.
436
00:27:20,013 --> 00:27:23,475
[kids] Mermaid, mermaid, mermaid!
437
00:27:23,558 --> 00:27:24,976
All right.
438
00:27:25,060 --> 00:27:26,978
Oh my God. Thank God. Thank God.
439
00:27:27,062 --> 00:27:28,063
[man] Here we go.
440
00:27:29,356 --> 00:27:31,066
[tail zipping up]
441
00:27:31,149 --> 00:27:34,194
Alrighty, y'all, are we ready to seeSparkles the Mermaid come out?
442
00:27:34,277 --> 00:27:35,236
[kids cheering]
443
00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,239
Y'all got to make sure she can hear you.Can she hear you? Come on!
444
00:27:38,323 --> 00:27:40,158
Make sure she can hear you. There we go.
445
00:27:40,992 --> 00:27:41,951
All right.
446
00:27:42,035 --> 00:27:43,370
-[Sparkles] Careful.-Yep.
447
00:27:43,453 --> 00:27:44,412
[Sparkles] Duck.
448
00:27:44,996 --> 00:27:47,791
Duck down. There we go.
449
00:27:47,874 --> 00:27:50,043
Shello!
450
00:27:50,126 --> 00:27:51,920
You look even prettier!
451
00:27:52,003 --> 00:27:53,713
[Sparkles] Oh my goodness! Thank you!
452
00:27:53,797 --> 00:27:55,799
[overlapping excited chatter]
453
00:27:56,424 --> 00:27:58,635
["Am I Dreaming?" playing]
454
00:27:58,718 --> 00:28:00,595
Well, are we ready to swim?
455
00:28:00,679 --> 00:28:01,638
Yeah!
456
00:28:01,721 --> 00:28:04,808
♪ Am I Dreaming? ♪
457
00:28:05,308 --> 00:28:07,936
-♪ Dreaming ♪-That is a pearl.
458
00:28:08,019 --> 00:28:10,355
Do you know pearls are made in clams?
459
00:28:10,438 --> 00:28:11,606
[song continues]
460
00:28:19,781 --> 00:28:22,534
[Sparkles] When I seeall the children's smiling faces
461
00:28:22,617 --> 00:28:26,496
and just the way their eyes light up,it really is a special experience.
462
00:28:30,875 --> 00:28:33,670
Special experiencesdon't pay the bills though.
463
00:28:34,671 --> 00:28:39,134
So if I really want to bea professional mermaid and pursue this,
464
00:28:39,801 --> 00:28:42,429
I may just… have to move.
465
00:28:44,347 --> 00:28:49,227
♪ Dreaming ♪
466
00:28:49,310 --> 00:28:50,812
[song fades out]
467
00:28:53,273 --> 00:28:56,776
[Eric] Weeki Wachee wasreally having a hard time financially.
468
00:28:57,277 --> 00:29:00,739
{\an8}And then the state camein and swooped in and bought it.
469
00:29:02,157 --> 00:29:05,243
When the state came, they're like,"You can't do this. It's unsafe."
470
00:29:05,326 --> 00:29:06,870
"You can't do that. It's unsafe."
471
00:29:07,454 --> 00:29:09,873
For example, there's an underwater tube
472
00:29:09,956 --> 00:29:13,251
that the performers would jump into enter in and out of the theater.
473
00:29:16,296 --> 00:29:21,009
{\an8}And it went down 16 feet,and then it went out 60 feet.
474
00:29:22,969 --> 00:29:24,888
[woman 6 chuckling] I hated that tunnel.
475
00:29:24,971 --> 00:29:27,348
And it teaches you to face your fear.
476
00:29:27,432 --> 00:29:30,810
{\an8}Because I reallydid not like small spaces.
477
00:29:37,192 --> 00:29:39,903
[Arlene] So I dropped downand went into one of the airlocks,
478
00:29:39,986 --> 00:29:44,532
which is basically a metal box upside downwith compressed air being pumped in.
479
00:29:45,408 --> 00:29:48,828
Well… something went wrongwith the compressor during the night.
480
00:29:48,912 --> 00:29:51,247
So, when we got in there, we both decided
481
00:29:51,331 --> 00:29:53,541
it was time for usto head for the surface,
482
00:29:53,625 --> 00:29:56,169
'cause there wasn't any airto be had down there.
483
00:30:01,966 --> 00:30:03,259
It was really tough.
484
00:30:04,803 --> 00:30:07,514
[male narrator] Anthea prepares
her student for the deep dive
485
00:30:07,597 --> 00:30:12,101
to the bottom of the spring117 feet below the surface.
486
00:30:12,185 --> 00:30:15,063
Equal to the heightof a ten-story building.
487
00:30:16,523 --> 00:30:20,652
Inhaling air from the hose,and then forcing air into the mask
488
00:30:20,735 --> 00:30:23,696
to balance the increasingpressure on their ears.
489
00:30:24,489 --> 00:30:26,491
[Jo] The only reason I left Weeki Wachee
490
00:30:26,574 --> 00:30:29,536
was because I kept havingnose and ear infections,
491
00:30:30,578 --> 00:30:34,082
and I was spendingtoo much time at the doctor's office.
492
00:30:35,083 --> 00:30:39,838
Basically, it was too dangerousfor me to continue.
493
00:30:40,839 --> 00:30:42,340
If you can't clear your ears,
494
00:30:42,423 --> 00:30:44,759
you blow allthe blood vessels in your face.
495
00:30:44,843 --> 00:30:49,138
{\an8}I've had multiple ear infections,multiple sinus infections,
496
00:30:49,222 --> 00:30:53,268
probably swam at timesthat sinus-wise I probably shouldn't have.
497
00:30:55,353 --> 00:30:58,481
[Eric] I came down witha really severe sinus infection,
498
00:30:58,565 --> 00:31:01,776
and I was told by managementat Weeki Wachee
499
00:31:01,860 --> 00:31:04,237
that if I decided not to come into work,
500
00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:06,823
I would be firedno matter what doctor said.
501
00:31:06,906 --> 00:31:09,826
So my dad called up, talked to my boss,
502
00:31:09,909 --> 00:31:12,287
then my dad was like,"Fine. Well, he's done."
503
00:31:12,370 --> 00:31:14,706
So my dad essentially resigned for me.
504
00:31:14,789 --> 00:31:17,709
So I was never firedfrom Weeki Wachee. I quit.
505
00:31:20,003 --> 00:31:22,422
And I remember crying
506
00:31:23,464 --> 00:31:26,551
because I didn't thinkmy time at Weeki Wachee was done,
507
00:31:27,218 --> 00:31:28,553
but it was done.
508
00:31:31,723 --> 00:31:33,224
[Candy] And he was not happy.
509
00:31:34,809 --> 00:31:36,019
He was very sad.
510
00:31:38,646 --> 00:31:42,108
[Eric] There is absolutelynothing else in the world
511
00:31:42,191 --> 00:31:43,985
like swimming in Weeki Wachee.
512
00:31:45,236 --> 00:31:47,238
The springs are magical.
513
00:31:47,780 --> 00:31:49,616
They're pristine.
514
00:31:53,036 --> 00:31:56,247
And you can say that you don't have
515
00:31:56,331 --> 00:31:58,499
the desire to go back,
516
00:31:59,626 --> 00:32:01,628
but deep down inside,
517
00:32:02,378 --> 00:32:06,007
the feeling of swimmingin the springs and performing
518
00:32:07,717 --> 00:32:11,429
will always be therein the pit of your heart.
519
00:32:12,180 --> 00:32:13,348
Always.
520
00:32:16,893 --> 00:32:20,480
[Candy] Sometimes we can't get backthose special things.
521
00:32:21,189 --> 00:32:23,691
And maybe that's why he works so hard.
522
00:32:24,192 --> 00:32:26,611
To try to get back what he had there.
523
00:32:29,155 --> 00:32:30,031
Or better.
524
00:32:31,199 --> 00:32:32,283
Or better.
525
00:32:35,119 --> 00:32:38,039
[Eric] Even before I was a teenagerand working at Weeki Wachee,
526
00:32:38,122 --> 00:32:40,750
I was always trying to figure outhow I could have my own
527
00:32:40,833 --> 00:32:42,251
world of Weeki Wachee.
528
00:32:42,335 --> 00:32:46,172
{\an8}So I was always trying to figure out howEric could have his own mermaid show.
529
00:32:54,055 --> 00:32:56,224
Two years ago, we bought this building.
530
00:32:57,016 --> 00:33:00,144
It had been a furniture storefor the last 25 years.
531
00:33:01,145 --> 00:33:02,230
You know, one might say,
532
00:33:02,313 --> 00:33:06,609
"How are you gonna turn thatmetal building into this magical oasis?"
533
00:33:07,235 --> 00:33:09,404
And my answer would be like, "Watch me."
534
00:33:10,113 --> 00:33:12,615
[upbeat percussive music playing]
535
00:33:12,699 --> 00:33:14,450
The back will be production.
536
00:33:15,326 --> 00:33:17,912
The front's going to bean educational aquarium.
537
00:33:19,038 --> 00:33:22,500
And eventually, we're gonnaput a tank and do mermaid shows.
538
00:33:24,544 --> 00:33:26,963
[Candy] I can tell Eric's getting antsy.
539
00:33:27,046 --> 00:33:28,881
He's ready for the next thing.
540
00:33:30,049 --> 00:33:34,178
And the next thing is… a tank.
541
00:33:34,262 --> 00:33:36,597
-[chime dings]-[slow, tense music plays]
542
00:33:38,599 --> 00:33:42,520
[Candy] It is really scarybecause this is a very expensive project.
543
00:33:42,603 --> 00:33:45,565
This tank is well over $100,000.
544
00:33:47,275 --> 00:33:50,028
{\an8}Last night he said,"I've been waiting for so long
545
00:33:50,111 --> 00:33:51,696
{\an8}for this to finally happen."
546
00:33:51,779 --> 00:33:53,698
It's everything to him.
547
00:33:53,781 --> 00:33:57,326
Ever since I met him,that's all he's ever dreamed about,
548
00:33:57,410 --> 00:34:00,580
was just being ableto have that tank to do shows.
549
00:34:01,664 --> 00:34:05,543
We hadn't done a dry runto take this building apart yet.
550
00:34:05,626 --> 00:34:08,087
[power tools whirring]
551
00:34:08,171 --> 00:34:12,133
I'm panicking that we are not gonnabe able to get the tank in the building.
552
00:34:19,182 --> 00:34:21,601
But what I was thinking of most
553
00:34:22,101 --> 00:34:24,020
was how Eric would feel
554
00:34:24,103 --> 00:34:27,023
if this didn't go the wayit was supposed to go.
555
00:34:28,232 --> 00:34:29,192
[Eric shouts]
556
00:34:29,275 --> 00:34:30,443
[worker 1] Done!
557
00:34:30,526 --> 00:34:31,527
All right.
558
00:34:33,362 --> 00:34:36,032
Oh, no, they're notgonna roll it like that.
559
00:34:36,991 --> 00:34:38,868
[worker 2] Here. For now, go here.
560
00:34:38,951 --> 00:34:40,453
What about here, bub?
561
00:34:40,536 --> 00:34:41,996
-Is it gonna make it?-[worker 2] Yes.
562
00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:44,624
-Take it down a bit.-[worker 3] I had to twist the other one.
563
00:34:44,707 --> 00:34:47,251
Go straight for now.Get that other one in here.
564
00:34:47,335 --> 00:34:49,796
-We'll have to pick it up again.-[worker 3] All right.
565
00:34:52,173 --> 00:34:54,759
When they finallygot it into the building,
566
00:34:55,343 --> 00:34:56,677
it fit perfectly.
567
00:34:58,679 --> 00:35:01,224
Got it lined upinto the space on the wall.
568
00:35:01,307 --> 00:35:03,309
[cheerful music playing]
569
00:35:20,243 --> 00:35:22,078
[Eric] I asked Barbara if she'd come.
570
00:35:22,161 --> 00:35:24,664
I wanted her to be part of it.I wanted her to be there.
571
00:35:24,747 --> 00:35:26,791
She was always at Weeki Wachee,
572
00:35:26,874 --> 00:35:29,127
and I wanted herto be part of the aquarium.
573
00:35:29,961 --> 00:35:31,921
You know, she got me into the water.
574
00:35:35,508 --> 00:35:37,135
[Eric laughing]
575
00:35:39,637 --> 00:35:40,888
[indistinct chatter]
576
00:35:43,432 --> 00:35:45,560
I didn't think it was gonna be big enough.
577
00:35:45,643 --> 00:35:47,562
-What?-I didn't think it'd be big enough.
578
00:35:47,645 --> 00:35:50,690
-I know. I'm gonna send it back.-You can do pin rolls in there.
579
00:35:50,773 --> 00:35:52,775
I'm gonna send it backand get a bigger one.
580
00:35:52,859 --> 00:35:54,569
-You what?-[chuckling]
581
00:35:55,278 --> 00:35:56,946
[Eric] She was the mermaid queen.
582
00:35:57,822 --> 00:36:00,908
She still loves Weeki Wachee deep inside.
583
00:36:00,992 --> 00:36:03,995
-Okay, now I might cry with you.-[tearfully] I know.
584
00:36:04,495 --> 00:36:06,622
[Eric] I think this is big.
585
00:36:06,706 --> 00:36:09,792
-[woman 7] I think it's big too.-[Eric] It's ample space.
586
00:36:09,876 --> 00:36:12,211
-[woman 7] I love it.-[Eric] It's ample space.
587
00:36:12,295 --> 00:36:15,047
-[woman 7] I'm so excited!-Okay, water now. [chuckles]
588
00:36:16,841 --> 00:36:18,926
[Candy] It was a beautiful moment.
589
00:36:19,010 --> 00:36:20,636
It was an exciting moment.
590
00:36:23,931 --> 00:36:24,932
You did good.
591
00:36:26,267 --> 00:36:28,853
You did good. I'm proud of you, boy.
592
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:31,355
My little seven-year-old merman.
593
00:36:31,439 --> 00:36:34,817
"Miss Barbara,you got a tail I could have?"
594
00:36:35,526 --> 00:36:38,154
I think the personthat's gonna be in that tank
595
00:36:38,237 --> 00:36:40,698
that first dayis gonna be that little you.
596
00:36:40,781 --> 00:36:42,742
-Probably.-Your little mini-me.
597
00:36:42,825 --> 00:36:46,787
The excitement's getting there.It's not 100%. There's no water yet.
598
00:36:47,288 --> 00:36:48,289
Till tonight.
599
00:36:48,372 --> 00:36:49,665
[calming music plays]
600
00:37:09,018 --> 00:37:12,021
[Eric] All of these dreamsas a child are just unfolding.
601
00:37:18,903 --> 00:37:23,157
And now, I want to createmy own world of mermaids.
602
00:37:25,493 --> 00:37:29,830
I want to createthe best underwater performances ever.
603
00:37:38,381 --> 00:37:39,840
Oh my gosh.
604
00:37:40,424 --> 00:37:42,969
-That tank is so gorgeous.-It's beautiful.
605
00:37:43,052 --> 00:37:47,181
I like the little stingray theme thingthat they've got going on.
606
00:37:47,682 --> 00:37:49,809
[Sparkles] How many gallonsdid we say that was?
607
00:37:49,892 --> 00:37:54,522
[Pixi] Thirteen thousand gallonsof Caribbean salt water.
608
00:37:54,605 --> 00:37:56,232
[Sparkles] That is epic!
609
00:37:56,315 --> 00:37:57,358
Oh…
610
00:37:57,441 --> 00:38:00,486
If I could live under there,I'd never leave.
611
00:38:00,569 --> 00:38:01,529
[both chuckle]
612
00:38:03,114 --> 00:38:06,784
[Sparkles] Eric the Mertailor is hugein the mermaid community.
613
00:38:06,867 --> 00:38:07,868
He's so epic.
614
00:38:07,952 --> 00:38:10,663
He is opening up his own mermaid aquarium
615
00:38:10,746 --> 00:38:14,041
where he's going to bethrowing his own mermaid shows.
616
00:38:16,585 --> 00:38:18,504
And he's holding auditions.
617
00:38:19,171 --> 00:38:20,006
[exhales]
618
00:38:20,089 --> 00:38:21,674
[calm, gentle music plays]
619
00:38:21,757 --> 00:38:23,092
And I'm going for it.
620
00:38:24,302 --> 00:38:28,764
I've never swam in a tank before,and I'm really, really, really excited.
621
00:38:35,604 --> 00:38:40,359
There are mermaids coming fromall around the country to these auditions.
622
00:38:41,861 --> 00:38:44,655
Everyone wants to be a Mertailor mermaid.
623
00:38:45,740 --> 00:38:48,367
So the competitionis going to be really stiff.
624
00:38:48,868 --> 00:38:50,870
[calm, gentle music continues]
625
00:39:00,838 --> 00:39:02,840
[pensive music playing]
626
00:39:06,385 --> 00:39:08,471
[Eric] Good morning, everybody.My name is Eric.
627
00:39:08,554 --> 00:39:10,890
I'm really excitedto have you all here today.
628
00:39:11,390 --> 00:39:13,726
I've waited 15 years for this very moment
629
00:39:13,809 --> 00:39:17,646
to audition the first group of peopleto be performers for Mertailor.
630
00:39:18,564 --> 00:39:21,984
Today's auditions have nothing to dowith mermaid tails.
631
00:39:22,068 --> 00:39:26,072
It has to do with your individualcomfortability in the water.
632
00:39:26,155 --> 00:39:28,157
When I see you underwater,
633
00:39:28,240 --> 00:39:32,328
if I feel like I have a connectionthrough the window,
634
00:39:32,411 --> 00:39:34,205
then that's how I choose.
635
00:39:35,206 --> 00:39:38,501
If you're in the waterand I find that you're freaking out,
636
00:39:38,584 --> 00:39:40,669
I'm gonna ask you to get out of the water,
637
00:39:40,753 --> 00:39:43,005
and at that timeyour audition will be over,
638
00:39:43,089 --> 00:39:45,758
and then you'll be askedto leave the premises. Okay?
639
00:39:45,841 --> 00:39:47,676
-All right. You guys ready?-Yes.
640
00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:49,762
[pensive music intensifies]
641
00:39:50,513 --> 00:39:52,056
Anybody been in a tank before?
642
00:39:52,139 --> 00:39:53,015
-Anybody?-No.
643
00:39:53,099 --> 00:39:55,267
-So this is everybody's first?-Yep.
644
00:40:01,816 --> 00:40:05,027
[spectator] Does anyone knowhow many spots they're hiring for?
645
00:40:05,111 --> 00:40:07,780
-[mermaid 3] I have no clue.-It's like The Mermaid Games.
646
00:40:08,364 --> 00:40:10,324
May the best fish win!
647
00:40:10,408 --> 00:40:12,118
[Eric] All right.
648
00:40:12,201 --> 00:40:16,789
Let's send in the first three individuals.
649
00:40:16,872 --> 00:40:19,333
[woman 7] All right, one, two, and three…
650
00:40:21,419 --> 00:40:24,880
Oh, it's also salt water too,so way different.
651
00:40:26,465 --> 00:40:28,592
[Eric] I want you to try it one more time.
652
00:40:28,676 --> 00:40:31,971
Keep that back legtowards the back of the tank, bent.
653
00:40:32,471 --> 00:40:34,598
Bent. Straight, not bent.
654
00:40:34,682 --> 00:40:38,561
When you do this right,you should be in excruciating pain.
655
00:40:39,353 --> 00:40:42,481
[Eric on PA] You have two minutes
if your number's on the tank.
656
00:40:42,565 --> 00:40:43,732
I'm Tristan.
657
00:40:43,816 --> 00:40:44,942
I'm Sparkles.
658
00:40:45,025 --> 00:40:45,901
-Sparkles?-Yes.
659
00:40:45,985 --> 00:40:48,279
-I think I follow you on Instagram.-Oh, you do?
660
00:40:48,362 --> 00:40:50,072
-What's your merman name?-Red River Merman.
661
00:40:50,156 --> 00:40:52,533
{\an8}I noticed when the aquariumopened in January,
662
00:40:52,616 --> 00:40:54,743
{\an8}that he saidthere were gonna be auditions.
663
00:40:54,827 --> 00:40:57,788
So, then very quickly,I zeroed in on every video
664
00:40:57,872 --> 00:41:00,291
of Eric doing underwater ballet,
665
00:41:00,374 --> 00:41:03,836
and then I just, like, blastedthe internet and my Instagram
666
00:41:03,919 --> 00:41:07,506
with, like, copying him,like, literally move for move,
667
00:41:07,590 --> 00:41:11,218
just, like, trying to give him a résumé,you know, every time.
668
00:41:11,302 --> 00:41:14,513
And, uh, every timehe likes one of my videos,
669
00:41:14,597 --> 00:41:17,224
it lights my world up.
670
00:41:17,308 --> 00:41:19,226
I'm the dude with all the ballet videos.
671
00:41:19,310 --> 00:41:21,437
Okay. Aw… Do you actually dance ballet?
672
00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:23,147
-[Tristan] Yeah.-[Sparkles] Epic.
673
00:41:24,356 --> 00:41:28,027
-[woman 7] Dolphin is a straight leg.-This is the one where I lock my knees.
674
00:41:28,110 --> 00:41:30,488
-[woman 7] All the way around.-All the way around.
675
00:41:30,571 --> 00:41:32,698
[woman 7] Pinwheel,same thing, all the way around.
676
00:41:35,910 --> 00:41:36,911
Great job.
677
00:41:38,287 --> 00:41:41,123
Try it again. Keep your legs together.
678
00:41:41,207 --> 00:41:44,418
Try to be relaxedand don't look like a duck. [chuckles]
679
00:41:45,753 --> 00:41:48,172
This is not gonna work.
680
00:41:48,255 --> 00:41:52,843
We can send in the next group.That would be fantastic.
681
00:41:58,682 --> 00:42:00,309
She just lost a nail.
682
00:42:00,809 --> 00:42:02,811
The fish are trying to eat it.
683
00:42:02,895 --> 00:42:05,814
Hey, Chelsea.Do you see the nail that's floating?
684
00:42:05,898 --> 00:42:08,859
The parrotfish.One of the parrotfish have it.
685
00:42:08,943 --> 00:42:11,654
He spit it out. Thank you.
686
00:42:12,154 --> 00:42:14,573
-This can't be real life.-[Sparkles] I know.
687
00:42:14,657 --> 00:42:17,243
About to jump in the tankfor the first time ever!
688
00:42:17,743 --> 00:42:20,120
I don't know whether to cryor laugh or melt.
689
00:42:21,288 --> 00:42:24,416
[Tristan] I'm more nervousabout the Weeki Wachee mermaid.
690
00:42:24,500 --> 00:42:25,918
She's, like, mermaid royalty.
691
00:42:26,001 --> 00:42:27,253
[Sparkles] Oh, I know.
692
00:42:27,336 --> 00:42:29,505
Perfect. Perfect.
693
00:42:32,007 --> 00:42:33,551
[woman 8] Oh, I love her arms.
694
00:42:33,634 --> 00:42:35,636
Oh, did you see her turn?
695
00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:37,972
Know how many peoplecan't turn in the water?
696
00:42:38,055 --> 00:42:40,224
[Eric] All right, ladies,thank you so much.
697
00:42:40,766 --> 00:42:42,560
We're gonna bring in the next two.
698
00:42:43,143 --> 00:42:45,062
[pensive music continues]
699
00:42:46,981 --> 00:42:50,609
[Sparkles] This isliterally my wildest dream.
700
00:42:57,533 --> 00:42:58,909
Let's see what you got.
701
00:43:03,998 --> 00:43:05,583
["Am I Dreaming?" plays]
702
00:43:05,666 --> 00:43:08,836
♪ Am I dreaming? ♪
703
00:43:09,545 --> 00:43:12,381
♪ Dreaming ♪
704
00:43:12,464 --> 00:43:17,761
♪ Dreaming ♪
705
00:43:17,845 --> 00:43:21,181
♪ 'Cause I'm sitting on a cloudCan't believe my life ♪
706
00:43:21,265 --> 00:43:24,101
♪ If this is a dreamPlease don't wake me up ♪
707
00:43:24,184 --> 00:43:27,021
♪ Am I dreaming? ♪
708
00:43:27,104 --> 00:43:29,940
♪ Dreaming ♪
709
00:43:31,275 --> 00:43:32,860
[singer vocalizing]
710
00:43:36,447 --> 00:43:41,619
♪ Dreaming ♪
711
00:43:42,536 --> 00:43:44,538
[song fades out]
61762
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