Baton Twirlers?

[ckay87]

I remember taking baton lessons with the park and rec department in town when I was in about 1st grade or so. It was fun but I was never very good. I saw a couple baton twirlers in parades this summer but it used to be EVERY band had one.

Our marching band does not have one but they have an awesome color guard, I think there are about 30 girls in the color guard for the band, and they all do the flags, rifles, etc. Trust me, after watching them practice for the past few months, is IS a workout!

You just gave me the best idea. I'm friends with most of the members of our parks and rec department (a volunteer group) and they are always looking for activities to offer to kids. Maybe this spring I'll bring that up (yes, this falls into the category of "what am I nuts, don't I have enough to do?")

 

[JunieJay]

Really? I read that before you changed it and it was very interesting & a nice thing to learn about you.


...oh, wait a minute, were you Junie Jay's squad captain???

Gah. I hope not. But if so, Susan D., you really need to lighten up! High school was over about 25 years ago, you are no longer Queen of the Kingdom.

 

[VioltePrincess]

FYI -- Twirl Mania hits WDW for President's Day weekend. the girls compete at the sports complex and participate in a parade on Main Street in the Magidc Kingdom. It's set up along the same lines as the cheerleading and dance team competitions.

 

[Minnie]

When I was in High School (early 80's rural GA town) it was the thing. I was not a majorette -but they were usually popular and pretty. I am kind of glad that it is not so poplular now. It is not a skill that translates into a career later.

And u think cheer leading, dance, playing an instrument, sports, art normally translates to a career later????????? For most of us that is simply not the case, however the intangibles that are learned from these activities do.

I was a baton twirler back in high school. I spent countless hours practicing and perfecting routines. It was hard and it took a lot of guts for this normally very shy individual to get out there on the field and perform. I learned more during my years as a dancer and baton twirler than I can possibly convey.

It's not about being popular or pretty (which I wasn't) its about so much more.

 

[clarabelle]

Maybe I'm just still feeling some residual jealousy.
It was kind of weird then. Like that was such a tremendous thing to be and everyone was so awed by the majorettes. Now as an adult I look back on it and it seems kind of skewed that we would think it was so important and such a thing to look up to.
I do think that anything that keeps you active and gets you used to getting out in front of people is a good thing

 

[Libby X 3]

Gah. I hope not. But if so, Susan D., you really need to lighten up! High school was over about 25 years ago, you are no longer Queen of the Kingdom.

Says who...

 

[JunieJay]

Says who...

Say the minions of your kingdom. We have risen above your reign!

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

We don't have a group but we have one girl twirl at all the events. She is a senior who recently became country champion and stared in a Dolly Parton music video. Lets just say she's amazing and leave it at that. There are no other words to describe it.

 

[Libby X 3]

Say the minions of your kingdom. We have risen above your reign!

I will always be queen of the kingdom - at least in my head. , Junie Jay..

 

[simba928]

When I was in High School (early 80's rural GA town) it was the thing. I was not a majorette -but they were usually popular and pretty. I am kind of glad that it is not so poplular now. It is not a skill that translates into a career later.

While spinning a flag will not be a career for me later, I have gotten so much more out of color guard and band. I am much more confident. I am also more outgoing. I used to NEVER dance. I mean never, I went to middle school dances and stood there looking around at all the other people dancing and never really wanted to do anything other than talk to my friends. Now, I am dancing in the stands when we do stand cheers and I will talk to people that I don't know. I am much closer to all my friends now (they are all in guard) and I have gained more friends. Think about it, 120 of us (thats just the students in the band, not including band parents, staff, etc.) spend about 6 hours a day together for 5 days in a row. Then that weekend, we leave for a week of band camp where we are all together from the time we wake up and go to breakfast at about 7 AM to the time we get back to the dorms at night around 11 PM. Then we spend at least 10 hours a week together starting the week after we get back from band camp (usually the first week of AUgust) until football season is over (end of October). That 10 hours does not include parades, festivals, competitions, or other shows. A couple weeks ago, we spent an entire Saturday (11 AM to 10PM) together. Band has taught me a lot of skills that I never would have had and I have met a lot of people that I never would have known existed otherwise.

 

[Becky2005]

As far as I know they don't have it in the schools here. They had color guard when I was growing up but no batons.

HOWEVER, some Park Districts do have it and they compete. They compete with the drill teams.

Our park district just joined the cheer team competition last year. It's pretty much how our gymnastics program was but that program has spread it's wings and has now gone into higher competition.

One of our gymnastics coaches the cheer girls. At the meets, the categories are drill team, cheer squads & baton squads. The batons also have individual skill competitions.

We don't do batons though but if you can teach it, check with your park district. There probably is some interest, even if it's just for fun for the kids.

 

[TiggerStac]

I twirled Baton competitively from about 5th grade until jr year in High School. At first I was going to join the Majorettes at my HS, but when they asked me to be a captain as a freshman (after 1 tryout) I figured it wasn't for me. The techniques just weren't there and I would probably have looked out of place...plus my coach was commenting about picking up the ways that others did things and my techniques.

I had wonderful experiences twirling..especially going to Notre Dame every summer for Nationals!! That was as so much fun. I met so many people. Where i live now, about 1 hour from where I grew up, there is still a coach that is very active. She use to run our state competitions, not sure if she still does. But I have seen things in the newspapers about Hollys Bunch. If I had a girl, I would definatley introdue her to twirling.

 

[Julia M]

My dd twirls competitively. If she were at a public junior high, she could twirl for the school marching band (there are girls on her squad that do) However, she attends Catholic school, so can't.

She is looking forward to high school, so she can twirl in a band.

Currently she does 2 1/2 hours of private lessons a week, one team lesson, and usually an extra couple of hours of practice in the gym. Then she practices at home a couple of hours per week. She's competed in Nationals the last three summers.

It's not big here in CA, but there are 19 girls on her competition squad, plus kids in rec.

Julia

 

[Disney Deb]

High School majorette here. Many moons ago......

Today at my old high school there are just flag twirlers and color guard.

The good news is that the college I graduated from now has twirlers...when I went there they did not.

My high school nickname was "butterfingers". No need to explain.

 

[juligrl]

Are there majorettes at your schools anymore? It seems like I see them less and less and when I do, they only use one baton or they have those big old flags attached to the baton, making the twirling more like flag-waving than anything.

Just wondering. I used to be a majorette in high school. I took classes at a dance school and worked very hard at it. It was NOT easy! Tons of practice - no fingernails - bruised fingers and arms. I still have the batons in my closet and will take them for a "spin" in the backyard now and then, fully aware of how stupid a 37 year old woman looks doing one- (or even two-)spins ! Ultimately each time I do this exercise, I wake up unable to move my arms the next day! When did this become such a workout??

Any other former (or current!) majorettes out there?

It's not a skill you can really use in adulthood (much like cheerleading!) and not something I can pass down to my kids (2 boys!) But I've often thought about offering lessons, for free even, just for fun. I just wouldn't know how to wave those little flaggies.

Oh you mean majorregrets?
Just kidding of course, but that's what we called them back in high school. My school hadn't had them since like the 70s, but my school also had a competitive corps style marching band of which I was a proud member. I always associated majorettes with show bands which to me were just cheesy.
However, I will say this, it is hard work and definately an art. I did indoor colorguard for 12 years so I had a lot of exposure to some really outstanding majorette groups (through local competitions). I'm pretty good with a flag, a rifle and a sabre, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to manage a baton.
We do have several local groups around here that are pretty good. Most have been around for quite a number of years and have well-established programs. I really have nothing against majorettes. I would even encourage my daughter to join the corps when she gets a little older if she'd be interested.

 

[lewdyan1]

FYI -- Twirl Mania hits WDW for President's Day weekend. the girls compete at the sports complex and participate in a parade on Main Street in the Magidc Kingdom. It's set up along the same lines as the cheerleading and dance team competitions.

I can't believe I missed this thread. My DD is a twirler and this will be her first year at Twirlmania. I would love to know if any other DISer's will be there.

Not entering the debate if twirling is good or bad, but my shy DD9 started twirling last January and has blossomed before our eyes! She now will perform/compete in front of large crowds. Before this, she always hid behind my legs. She started out in a large twirling school of about 300 twirlers, but now is competing in solo twirling. For us this has been perfect and if you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she will tell you she wants to own a twirling school!

 

[Tazicket]

My highschool had a colorguard. DH's highschool had majorettes. They were a really big deal out where he grew up. We just went to a HS marching band competition last weekend and almost every band there had majorettes (and just about every band did a kickline at some point )