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 The throws and spins of baton
twirling are as breathtaking as they are challenging. Requiring dance and
gymnastics training, physical conditioning and hours of practice, baton
twirling is gaining increasing recognition as a challenging sport requiring
enormous dedication. No longer relegated exclusively to parades and stadiums,
twirling can be an exciting addition to dance training and can add pizzazz to
any dance routine. Dance Spirit caught up with two experts to get the spin on
this rotating artform.
Training
to Twirl
“ A successful twirler has the flexibility of a gymnast, the accuracy of a
quarterback, the jumping ability of a basketball champion, the grace and
poise of a dancer, the precision of a golf pro and the skill of an ice
skater,” says Joyce Perrone, a former twirler for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Because controlling a baton while moving requires a diverse set of skills,
Perrone, who is also the owner and director of Twirl Mania in Orlando, FL,
stresses the importance of having a background in dance and gymnastics.
“Baton twirling and
strong dance technique go hand in hand,” agrees Vivian Mutchler, a certified
coach and judge with the United States Twirling Association (USTA) and
co-owner and program director of Encore Baton & Dance Studio in Upper
Marlboro, MD. Mutchler says that students can learn to twirl as young as age
3, but that older students learn faster because their minds and bodies are
more developed. “The younger ones should concentrate on their dancing and
gymnastics to get in gear for baton twirling,” she says.
The average starting age for baton twirlers is between 6 and 12, but many
become
interested when they enter middle or high school and want to twirl with the
band at school functions. Perrone suggests starting with group classes to
learn the fundamentals of twirling before moving on to private lessons.
“Group lessons will help you to decide the type of twirling and amount of
dedication you want to devote to the sport,” she notes.
Explore
Your Options
Finding a good twirling coach is an important step in the training process.
Mutchler
recommends visiting the USTA website (www.ustwirling.com). The site has links
to state councils (most of which have links to state twirling groups) as well
as a listing of coaches.
Locating a potential coach is only the first step, however. Perrone stresses
that students need to inquire about a coach’s qualifications, ask for a few
trial lessons before committing, ask former or currents students for
recommendations and attend a performance before settling on a coach. “Never sign
a contract,” she advises. “The school or coach should have confidence in
their ability and should not ask for one.”
Once you’ve learned to
twirl, performance opportunities for twirlers are abundant, says Mutchler. In
addition to sporting events and parades, there are competitions sponsored by
twirling organizations and community events. Many theme parks also showcase
twirlers as entertainment.
Whatever your baton
twirling goal, Perrone advises taking it one step at a time: “Twirling is a
very high tech sport and requires the 3 Ds: desire, determination and
dedication.”
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Stroman
Takes A Spin
Choreographer Susan Stroman drew upon her own twirling background in creating
Broadway’s Oklahoma!, which closed this past February. “I used to twirl the
baton at
halftime shows when I was in the high school band, so I have great
coordination,” she says. “It’s probably why I’m able to use props so easily,
because if you toss me anything, I’ll catch it. Twirling takes so much
practice. I’ve found, even with the greatest dancers in the world, if you
toss them a cane, they either lose it or they can’t dance anymore. It’s just
a matter of hand-eye coordination and being able to isolate one part of your
body from another-to get your arms to do one thing and your legs to do
another.”
The two young girls in
Oklahoma! who steal Laurey’s bottle of elixir execute lyrical ballet steps
while tossing the bottle back and forth on a rhythmic count. After struggling
with the move in rehearsal, they figured out that the trick was isolating
their upper body from their lower. —Hilary Ostlere
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Twirl • Mania
The Twirl Mania Championships for twirlers, dancers, pom lines and flag lines
is held annually at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, FL, in
February. Next year’s championships will take place February 20-23. The event
consists of parades down Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom, competitions
for solos and teams, showcases in the Disney parks, workshops, performances
and clinics with the world’s best coaches. Check out www.twirlmania.com
for more.
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