Techniques to Improve

An essential part to twirling is having sufficient hand eye coordination. One must be able to rapidly flip the baton and be prepared to catch it at any time. There are a few ways you can get yourself used to catching the baton. The first technique you can use is simply throwing the baton into the hand you intend on catching it with (right hand). Continuously throw it in your right hand and increase the force little by little; this will get your hand used to catching the baton at a rapid speed.

Flexibility is an important part to the dance element of twirling (something which I lack.) In twirling, being able to have high kicks is crucial. The ability to do a split, illusion, and fan kick are also very important. I’ve been doing many different exercises lately to help increase my flexibility and I’ve began to see progress. I begin in a simple V-Set stretch, reaching down to my left and right foot for 30 seconds. Then I complete a series of hamstring, inner thigh, and back stretches to help improve my overall flexibility. After I complete my stretches, I perform several front kicks, side kicks, back kicks, and fan kicks. Next, I slide down into a right and left split (although I can’t touch the ground) I hold in this position for 30-45 seconds.

Of course the most important aspect to becoming a better twirler is continuously practicing. No new trick comes easily. Every twirler must have the will to improve and the determination to perfect each new skill. Frustration is a problem that every twirler has. It’s much easier to give up than it is to keep trying to achieve success in each trick. The road to becoming an advanced twirler is a very long, hard one and takes a lot of dedication. Although it’s tiring and a struggle, perfecting a new trick is more than worthwhile and brings a great sense of satisfaction. Twirling is a very difficult, technical art and demands a great deal of improvement and dedication from each twirler.

Competition Rules and Regulations

What many people do not realize, is there’s many rules to competition twirling. It’s just like any other sport like football and basketball that has rules and regulations that need to be followed.

The first set of rules involve what the majorettes are wearing. The first rule is every twirler must be in standard uniform. This means every twirler must wear the same majorette uniform, wear tights, and wear majorette shoes. If any of these are changed or not worn, points will be deducted from the final score. Also, every twirlers hair must be up in some form or fashion; the most common hairstyle is a bun. Another surprising rule is that all makeup must be the same.

The next set of rules involve how the majorette holds certain parts of her body. A majorette must keep her hand that does not contain a baton in a “barbie hand” pose. Also, toes must be pointed at all times, especially when there are kicks involved in the routine. If at any time there is a pose in the routine that involves a leg being popped, the inside of the majorette’s leg cannot be shown towards the audience (this is very important). Another important rule involves how the majorette holds her upper body. Her shoulders must be pulled back and her head should be held high. A majorette also must be smiling through the whole routine. If you drop your baton, keep smiling. If you fall, keep smiling. If you forget the routine, always keep smiling! Judges love to see majorettes that seem

to love what they’re doing. If one does not smile through the whole routine, it could make them seem like they’re confused or they’re not enjoying twirling. Always keep smiling!!

The last set of rules are the most obvious. There needs to be as few drops as possible although points are rarely deducted for them. A majorette line also needs to be uniform through the whole routine. Every majorette must stay on beat. Also, when entering the field to perform the field show, majorettes must high step. These rules and regulations must be followed at all times!

How to do a Bow Toss

How to do a Bow Toss

A “bow toss” is a standard baton trick that can be increased into many more advanced forms. The trick requires balance, speed, self-trust, and a little bravery!  This trick is a simple yet impressive skill to learn in the art of twirling.

Procedure

To prepare for a bow toss, one must perform a few tosses to get warmed up. After you feel comfortable, toss the baton up a few more time except this time, throw the baton up as high and straight as possible. After you feel comfortable with the height and accuracy of your baton, you are ready for the next step.

After you wind the baton up and throw it as high as you can in the air, step your right foot forward and plant it firmly on the ground. Next, bring your hands together in front of your face in a “crossed” motion. Next, bow down from the waist keeping your back straight and thrusting your arms behind you in a backwards “V.” Be sure to tuck your chin to your chest as you are bowing, keeping your head up can cause one to seem unsure and inaccurate.

After you have tossed the baton and bowed quickly, prepare yourself to catch the baton and “tuck.” A tuck is bringing your feet together and slapping your arms to the sides of your legs quickly. This is the basic “follow through” for baton tricks.

Perfecting

When performing a bow toss, one must make sure many aspects of the toss is correct or the trick will look uncoordinated and sloppy. The most important thing to remember is to keep your back straight and chin tucked. This trick takes a lot of bravery. Ducking your head down below a rapidly spinning baton can be scary, but with lots of practice one can learn to not fear it at all. After you perfect the bow toss, the trick can be transformed into many more advanced tosses. It can be advanced into a “bow one.” This is where you perform a normal bow toss, but before catching the baton, spinning around just in time to catch it. A bow toss is very impressive, exciting, and fun trick to perform!

How to do a One-Turn

A One-Turn is a crucial trick in the art of twirling. One-Turns are the basis for numerous trick combinations; one-turns can even be increased into two, three, four, all the way up to eight turns. Of course an eight turn is an extremely advanced trick that only a select few can accomplish. In this blog post, I will explain how to prepare, perform, and perfect a one-turn.

A one-turn is simply a wind-up of the baton, a quick thumb flip in the air, an immediate, quick spin, and a perfect catch with a follow through. After a few days of practice, a one-turn can be caught; after a few weeks of practice, a one-turn can be perfected.

First, one has to position their arms and legs in the perfect position. The standard beginning pose for a one turn is your arms placed in a downward “V” with your right leg pointed forward with the knee slightly bent.

Next, wind up the baton in a circular motion clockwise starting with the right arm out to the side. As the baton is winding up, pull your feet together up on your toes in a quick motion.

The next move requires a quick thumb flip high enough to have the correct amount of time to spin and catch it comfortably. a thumb flip is simply the roll of the baton off your thumb with an upward thrust to ensure height and speed. After you finish the quick wind up on your toes with your feet together, thumb flip the baton and prepare for the spin.

With a one-turn, you cannot just simply turn around in any fashion; there’s a specific technique to spinning in the art of twirling. You have just thumb flipped the baton in the air and you are up on your toes prepared for the next step; as soon as you spot your baton and conclude that it’s at the perfect height and position to catch it, you are ready to spin. While up on your toes, firmly place your right foot forward with your arms coming back down into a subtle “V.” Quickly push off of your right foot to the left and tuck it tightly next to your left foot as you spin rapidly. As for the arms, as soon as you push off on your right foot, wrap your arms around your body; the right arm across the front of your body and the left arm across your back (this motion ensures stability, balance, and speed.)

As you whip back to the front, stop yourself by placing your right foot back on the ground firmly. As the baton is descending catch it in a “cradled” motion. This means as soon as the baton is in hand, firmly “cradle” the baton in the bend of your arm. After the baton is cradled, slightly “jump” your feet together and slap your arms to your sides. This is called a “tuck” which is your follow through.

After you’ve mastered these steps, you have successfully perfected a one-turn! Practice Practice Practice!   

Unexpected

While approaching the start of my senior year, I began to think about what my future in twirling may hold. One of my best friends who I had twirled every year in high school with, Parker, was beginning to start her freshman year in college at East Tennessee State University as a majorette. Ever since I got news of her making the renewed majorette line, I knew I wanted to pursue this after high school. Although I felt my skills were almost advanced enough to be able to make the majorette line after my senior year, I wanted to advance my skills even more to ensure I would be ready in time for tryouts. I attempted various workouts and practice techniques to improve my skills on my own without seeing any result. I had been praying to the Lord for so long to give me anything that would renew my confidence. Eventually, I gave up on my dreams of becoming a college majorette and decided altogether I would never be ready for tryouts.

We’ve all heard that God works in mysterious ways. I can say first hand that God not only works in mysterious ways, he works in extraordinarily unfathomable ways that makes me marvel at his glory and uncountable blessings. The way he puts people in our lives right when they’re needed most makes me unbelievably grateful that I serve an almighty God. My family spends majority of our summer weekends on Norris Lake. One late night on the lake after we docked our boat, my mother ran into a man my older brother used to work with and his wife. While my parents were making conversation with him, I began to speak to his wife. She asked me the usual small talk questions, “What school do you go to?” “What grade are you in?” After we had talked for awhile she asked me if I played any sports. I replied, “No, I’ve never been one to play sports, but I’ve been twirling and dancing my whole life.” Her eyes suddenly widened and she smiled from ear to ear, “I’ve been a competition twirler since I can remember when. I’ve competed all over the country and I’ve won hundreds of trophies.” Her words were music to my ears and I couldn’t resist to ask, “Would you be interested in giving me lessons?!” She agreed to give me lessons as soon as possible and we parted ways. As I laid down in my little bunk bed in our camper, I smiled realizing what had just happened. The Lord put the perfect person in my life right when I needed her. Tears began to well up in my eyes as I began to think about the incredible blessing God had given me and how good he is even though I do not deserve it.

True Blessing

Baton twirling is an activity that is practiced and adored by many young girls all over, including me. I began twirling at the age of three in our local twirling school and have loved it ever since I twirled my first "pancake." I continued twirling for the next seven years, deciding at the end of my fifth grade year to step away from twirling and focus on other activities. For the next three years in middle school, I hardly picked up a baton and had forgotten almost every skill except for basic twirls. As I was approaching my freshman year in high school, it came to my attention by my past twirling instructor that our local high school marching band would be having its first auditions for majorettes in seventeen years. After hearing the news, I knew that this opportunity would give me a chance to pick back up the sport I once loved and become a more advanced twirler. When I decided to tryout for the Lee High majorette line, I knew I had a lot of work to do to prepare for tryouts. I had never auditioned for any sport before and I was more nervous than ever when the day of tryouts arrived. I was even considering backing out of tryouts because I was so sure I wasn't going to make it. Thankfully, God gave me the courage to push through tryouts and blessed me with the gift of making it on the majorette line. Practices started soon after and they were nerve wracking; i was extremely shy and intimidated by the other girls on the team. Little did I know, in about three months we would all become the best of friends and spend almost every day of summer together. Being on the majorette line gave me a new sense of confidence; it gave me the ability to showcase my talents and express my love for twirl and dance. Becoming a majorette truly was the best thing that ever happened to me; it gave me an opportunity to discover my true passion and make the best friends I've ever had. I'll forever have God to thank for bringing such a blessing into my life.   

First Parade

In the picture below, one of my oldest friends, Abbie, and I are preparing to twirl in our first of many annual Tobacco Festivals. Though I can hardly remember the events of that day, pictures and scrapbooks remind me of the feeling I experienced in marching through my first parade.

Every attraction, float, and group participating in the annual march was scheduled to meet at Pennington Middle School about one hour before the parade began. The Lee County Little Majorettes met in the middle of the courtyard in front of the school, all in our red uniforms, half of our hair pulled back in a red scrunchy, and little batons on hand that were no more than a foot long.

After a few minutes, it was time to position ourselves in our standard “shortest to tallest” line-up and prepare to march through the parade. “Everybody line up! Get ready! Hands on your hips!” our baton teacher called. Before we knew it we were making our way out of the courtyard and onto the main road.

We marched forward in two lines with our hands glued to our hips with batons clutched tightly in our right hand. We had planned earlier in the week to begin twirling when we reached the first group of spectators. We hadn't been walking but for a few seconds before we saw a group of people up ahead. “Okay girls! Clocks! Now Up Verticals! Down Verticals! Can opener!” Every basic trick that our instructor shouted out to perform, we immediately obeyed and performed each twirl several times before the next trick was called out. We were too small to execute a routine while marching at the same time. In future Tobacco Festival parades, I wouldn't be just twirling basic tricks, I would be high-step marching through town to the up beat tunes of a marching band and twirling routines I never would have dreamed I could perform.
I remember seeing the Lee High Marching Band that day. I had always thought they were amazing, the way the drum line sounded and how professional they looked walking through the parade all perfectly instep. I had always been disappointed that they didn’t have a majorette line. Little did I know I would be a part of that same band eleven years later as one of the four very first majorettes Lee High had since 1995 and discovering my true passion in life.