Love Susie

No matter how many years you are out of twirling for, I think it stays in your blood. I have had almost ten years away from the sport at a National level, but now I have started twirling with my own daughters and I feel I enjoy it more than ever! It was such a buzz entering the stadium to compete in Masters Freestyle this year - the support from the crowd and the other athletes was overwhelming and of course having missed the years of intense training I was a little worried I may have looked out of my league. However, I was blown away by the complete adrenaline rush that came with being on the floor. My aim? A no-drop, but that did not happen - perhaps I better improve my performance skills for next year and give it another shot...  

I would love to thank everyone for making the effort to come to Rockhampton and supporting us in hosting this year’s Nationals. The parents and girls in my club all benefited immensely. I am hoping that the experience and pure enjoyment I was lucky enough to get out of this fabulous sport can be now enjoyed by the athletes up here in Queensland.

I can see the key to success in Baton Twirling is dedication and a positive attitude and I must congratulate all the athletes who show complete warmth and support for one another.

Looking forward to many more Queensland Nationals!

Susan McDonald.

2010 Australian National Championships - Part Three!

Sunday morning saw everybody assemble on a beautiful field to begin Marchpast. Each competitor looked identical their fellow team members including the angle of their hair piece and the shade of lipstick they wore. Sunglasses even looked uniform due to the lovely sunshine we had on the day. As each team past their inspection and performed – lead by their whistle-blowing leaders – the applaud grew louder and louder. Even with the extreme heat, each competitor showed their highest marching knees, biggest smiles and military-straight arms. It made for great entertainment and all coaches looked very pleased as their teams saluted the judges.

Like a row or ants everyone made their way back to the gym to resume the competition. It was now time to find out who the Freestyle Champion of Champions was! Claudia, Jessica and Adam performed their freestyles for the very last time – each one pushing their limits. After a roar from the crowd, it was Adam Gates from Dandenong with his tight contact, artistic expression and record-breaking tricks that took out the title! After a year of hard work and performing in Norway for the world to see, everything just came together perfectly for the fierce competitor this weekend.

Only minutes later, it was time for Teams – the famed event where coaches choreograph their athlete’s best skills all together to carefully chosen music, which makes for spectacular viewing! Some of the unique exchanges and juggling sequences was a sight to see in itself. Not to mention the big tricks and well-timed rolls. Whether you enjoy dramatic, pretty or theatrical, there was something to tickle everyone’s fancy.

Just as you thought the last event of the championships had come to an end, the ‘So You Think you Can Twirl’ event took place! While the tabulators were busy finalising the results, this new event welcomed everyone, young and old, to the floor to improvise to selected pieces of music. There was only one rule – you must have a baton in your hand. This talent quest-like competition saw toddlers spinning on their toes, mums and dads attempting (and in some cases, catching) one-spins and athletes joining together from other clubs and states to make a mockery of themselves and each other. It brought a truly comedic event to the championships!

Soon enough, it was time to get down to business. Everyone marched out in unison to Australia’s National routine for the closing ceremony and presentations. From Strut through to Team, Juvenile to Adult, Beginner to Advanced, there was no shortage of cheers, smiles and photos! A year of heard work had finally paid off!

2010 Australian National Championships - Part Two

Now... time to bring out the big guns. Our Freestylist's begin to warm-up during the lunch break. It’s like moving art – seeing all of the flying batons and coloured leotards decorate the floor. Before you know it, our Norway Freestylist's prove their worthiness and our Masters category bring back some of our favourite athletes – who totally still have it! It’s Claudia Cicco, Jessica Colless and Adam Gates who are announced as the Junior, Senior and Adult winners respectively. They would then have time to prepare themselves to compete for the famous Freestyle Champion of Champions title the next day.

The Pairs section was next on the agenda. From pretty, to jazz, to heart-felt – we saw it all. The costumes were amazing and each pair brought their A-game. Talk about hating to be a judge!

With all of the heavily baton-focused routines complete for the day, it was now time to move onto a different category of baton twirling – Dancetwirl. Just in case you didn’t know it yet, Australian’s love Dancetwirl! With so many to present, we skipped the warm-up! Our athletes danced all kinds of their favourite styles – jazz, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, hip-hop and more. Everybody brought their own individuality and entertainment factor to the floor – a delight for the crowd to watch and the judges to judge!

Our last routine for the night was the all-famous Specialised! A routine that virtually every athlete participates in, from 3 year olds, to coaches! If the crowd hadn’t laughed at some point throughout the day yet, they were guaranteed to laugh now. You may have seen some of our clubs’ photos on Facebook already, but there was certainly no shortage of slap-stick! From Ghoast Busters and We Speak No Americana, to Moulin Rouge and Magic Carpet Rides – every routine was a totally different genre. Some of the props used included pom-poms, maracas, a moving bush, hoops and just about anything you could think of! What an end to such a great day of competition. As dinner plans are made, parents scurry to get their kids ready to go home and get a good night's rest to prepare for Sunday…

2010 Australian National Championships - Part One

Well-earned medals and trophies are now on display in the homes of Australia’s best baton twirlers. So just how did the Australia’s National Championships unfold?

It’s Friday 1st October and athletes make their way into the Central Queensland University gym. As committee members trickle out the of the AGM, athletes can be found in every corridor and corner of the gym applying make-up, spraying hair, stretching muscles and twirling batons.

The 2011 Florida International Cup trials are about to take place! Solo, Two-baton, Three-baton, Artistic twirl and pairs – the crowd take their seat to witness a sneak preview of what the 2011 Australian squad will bring to the table. With no lack of willing and hopeful competitors, the trials are a great success! To the athletes dismay, they will have to wait until Sunday to learn just how they faired. On the contrary, freestyle athletes were happy to compete in Short Program and Compulsories that night to and get the hard part over and done with! Day one – over.

Saturday morning not only brought fabulous weather, but many spectators and more budding young athletes. Prompted by MC Glendi McNabb, the Opening Ceremony begins with the 2010 Norway world squad leading the way. Each state follows suit in the respective colours. With all of the formalities out the way, our athletes strip down to reveal stunning leotards of all sorts as the competition gets under-way with the Strut section.
Six lanes of marching pro’s follow one after the other, each hoping to prove themselves. Our winners of the Advanced Junior, Senior and Adult sections then compete for the Australian Strut Champion of Champions title. It is Anastassia Tsaloukas from Easts who takes it home with her perfectly timed marching and exquisite elements! It’s now time for our Soloists to take to the floor. The competition heats up as we see big tricks, intricate rolls and fast contact – what a sight. Soon enough it’s time for the winner of the Solo Champion of Champions title to be announced. Shalina Ball from Eastern Star is awarded the title by impressing them all with her extensive rolls sections and make-them-look-so-easy tricks!

It’s a quick costume change for those in the One-baton section. Showing off their body work and baton technique, this section comes to a close with Carly Scullion of Sutherland being rewarded the One-baton Champion of Champions trophy after a beautiful display. It’s soon time for our talented Two-baton and Three-baton athletes to Wow the crowd. With look-at-me costumes, tricks galore and very concentrated faces, it is the young Abbey McNabb of Bexley club and her trickery that earns herself the title of Two-baton Champion of Champions!

NBA All-Star is Champion Baton Twirler!

Full Name: Calvin Jerome Murphy
Born: 5/9/48 in Norwalk, Conn. USA
Honours: Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame(1993), NBA All-Rookie Team (1971), NBA All-Star (1979),

"As a basketball player Calvin Murphy had these skills: speed, quickness, great hands, ball handling kills, great leaping ability and the shooting eye of an eagle. Like the NBA's heavyweights, he earned the game's ultimate reward when he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 after a stellar schoolboy, collegiate and 13-year NBA career.

He became obsessed with two things: basketball and baton twirling. Surely the only NBA star ever to claim a national championship in baton twirling which he did as a teen-ager in 1963, he picked up a twirler’s baton even before he did a basketball. He inherited both interests from his mother, Ina, a one-time majorette who had also played guard with a semipro basketball team in North Carolina.

Now "Murph" currently works with the Rockets in a variety of positions, including as an analyst for televised games. He has also used his voice as a color commentator for PlayStation NBA Live 2003."
(2010 NBA Media Ventures, LLC)

Watch Murphy show us that Baton Twirling can improve your dribbling!

Red on Roundball: Dexterity Dribbling

2010 World Athlete Interview – Alycia French. Senior Women Freestyle.

When did you begin baton twirling?
I first started in 1995 when I was 6 years old. I joined the Syndal Baton Twirlers where Mara and Gail were my coaches.

What is your fondest memory of baton twirling?
Back in the day at “twirling camp” Elaine, Shalina and I entered the Talent Quest. We managed to bring the house down with a homey-G rap ensemble which incorporated the melody of Fresh Prince of Belair, break dancing and some ridiculously baggy clothing! I’ll never forget the lyrics :)

What has been one of your favourite routines to date?
I can’t go past our Australian Jungle team in America – epic! The funniest routine I’ve ever done was our Sister Act Specialised from last year that we won Nationals with! But I would have to say that this year’s freestyle has to be my favourite, the song means a lot to me and I just love performing it, can’t wait for everyone to see it at worlds!

When was your first World Championships?
The first time I went to worlds was in 2001 – Paris, France. I competed in Junior Pairs and I remember having to go on straight after Sebastian and Angelique (my favourite pairs ever!)… how embarrassing that was! But I loved worlds so much that I’ve actually been every year since, except for ’08 Canada which unfortunately clashed with university commitments :( but it didn’t worry me too much since I already had the chance to visit Canada for ’02 worlds. Nonetheless, the atmosphere is just so addictive!

What are you looking forward to most about Norway?
I am looking forward to competing as a Senior Women Freestylist and making Australia proud! As always, I am looking forward to exploring and learning about the culture of a country I have never been to before. What's more is I'll gladly be able to join the spectators for the team section!

What is your goal for twirling this year?
This year I want to perform a PB for both short program and freestyle. I just want to walk away being proud of my scores that will hopefully beat my previous individual world ranking! I have already fulfilled some of my goals this year in accomplishing certain tricks and rolls so I can’t wait for Norway! I also want to help in increasing awareness of our sport… hence why I created this Blog and Facebook fan page - I hate to see such a remarkable sport go unnoticed.

Who is your baton twirling idol?
Sébastien Dubois has always been a favourite of mine and I was devastated when he stopped competing… His ’01 pairs routine with Angelique was a highlight, but his freestyle routines always drew me in - the tight baton work and amazing theatrics won me over! Encore!

2010 World Athlete Interview – Carly Scullion. Team.

When did you begin baton twirling?
I first started twirling in 1992. I was 5 years old!

What has been one of your favourite routines to date?
I have a few favourite routines - last years Freestyle routine that I did was one of my favourites, along with this years team… And every year I do pairs with Natalie Morris, she makes it so much fun to twirl with her!

Which year has been your favourite National Championships?
My favourite National championships would definitely be the year Natalie and I were picked as the world pair. We also won the National Championships that year!

When was your first World Championships?
My first world championships  was in 2002 - Saskatchwan, Saskatoon Canada. I was the reserve for our World Team. What an experience!

What are you looking forward to most about Norway?
The thing I'm looking forward to most about Norway is the girls we are travelling with! I'm excited for them because it’s their first time competing in the Australian team at Worlds! I'm also looking forward to seeing the Japanese - they never cease to amaze me.

Who is your baton twirling idol?
My twirling idol has always, and will always, be Ainsley Hunt from Australia. She was such a fantastic twirler and always so calm and positive. She gives us great inspiration and I admire her in so many ways. She is a great coach & judge, a wonderful mum and a lovely friend :)

What is your goal for twirling this year?
My goal for this year is too do the absolute best that I know I can do on the floor - especially at world. I would like to be the best Australian team to ever perform at world and that is a big ask because there have been many great Australian teams represent us!

Michael Jackson's crush on Noriko Takahashi

(May 24th, 2009 - 12:58 pm ICT by ANI)

"London, May 24 (ANI): Michael Jackson is said to be besotted with a baton-twirling circus stunner who he wants to perform at his comeback London gigs.

Jacko, who has already recruited a professional pole dancer to join his troupe at the tour, is about to sign Noriko Takahashi, 30, who is currently appearing in Las Vegas in the Cirque du Soleil production Ka.

Yesterday, sources had revealed that Jackson had fallen for the beautiful Japanese gymnast, who has won six gold medals in 15 appearances at the annual Baton Twirling World Championships, reports The Daily Star.

One of his aides declared: “He’s been infatuated with her since he first saw her in Ka and he’s chatted with her backstage numerous times.”

According to the source, the 50-year-old singer popped out to see the showgirl at least ten times during a six-week stay in Vegas.

He added: “When he moved back to LA, he even pleaded with Noriko to join him there.

“He promised to pay her air fare and offered her a fortune to dance solely for him.

“She very politely declined - she’s a really shy girl - but Michael is now hoping to make her an offer she can’t refuse to perform with him in London this summer.” (ANI)

Noriko winning the world title in 1998 with her beautiful rendition of 'the little mermaid'.

Feel like giving up?

Have you ever thought about giving up on that hard trick, that long rolls section, that impossible contact series... Or not competing again because of a past failure?
Take a look at this short video and learn what some of the legends of their trades persevered through to become as great as they did...




So next time you don't want to risk trying again, think of one of these legends to help you reach your goal!

2010 World Athlete Interview – Natalie Morris. Team.

In what year did you start twirling?
In 1998 when I was 13, I was introduced to twirling by Kellie Abbs who use to twirl. I had done gymnastics up until then which I found helped me pick up twirling fairly quickly.

What is one of your favourite routines to date?
This is such a hard question but I can’t go past team in 2003 when we went to Spain. It was my first time in the open team and it was such a great experience and an honour to be a part of the team with girls that I have always looked up. It was so much fun, we twirled to the music from Chicago “All that Jazz”. I feel like I matured so much as a twirler being a part of that team!
I also have to say that every pairs routine that I do with my good mate Carly Scullion are always up there with being my favourite!

Which year has been your best National Championships?
I must say that 2007 was a memorable year for me - it was my first year leading Senior Marchpast for which I won Best Leader, I won my first 'Champion of Champions' and I also won all of the events that I competed in!

Have you had any injuries from twirling?
It wasn’t really from twirling but it did happen at training, I tore ligaments in my knee because I slipped over my tracksuit pants Haha! I’m known for falling over! Danielle Bentick has nick-named me “slider” for a stack that happened right in front of her!

What are you looking forward to most about Norway?
I am really looking forward to performing our team, we have some younger girls this year and I am so excited for them as well! I love the whole lead-up to the competition with training - just drilling the routine, and then of course competing. When you train so hard for it all year it’s a great feeling being out on the floor performing it! I also must say I’m looking forward to see what Japan, America and France (of course) have to offer, they are amazing to watch!

Who is your baton twirling idol?
My idol... It probably sounds corny but I really look up to Ainslie Hunt (Macintyre) and Jennie Doniger (Spooner). They have always both trained so hard and never given up which made them, I think, two of the best in Australia in their time.
I also love to watch and learn things from Chiaru and Seishi from Japan - especially in pairs when they were always so amazing.

What is your favourite trick?
Karrissa Wimberley always comes out with some amazing tricks, she has so much strength which makes her able to do unreal acrobatic moves, she always pulls out different tricks that no one else has.

2010 World Athlete Interview – Danielle Bentick. Senior Women Freestlye.

When did you first start twirling?
I started twirling in 1992 with the Dubbo RSL Youth Club. Mrs Gray was the manager and she did such a great job - she taught me so many life lessons. I have now been with the Dubbo PCYC club since late 2005.

What is one of your favourite routines you’ve ever done?
The Jungle team in 2005, it was the best! Since then I’ve always thought of it as the bench mark and I’ve received so many positive comments about it from others. It was also so fun just training and performing it.

When was your first World Championships?
1999 in Daytona Beach Florida, America. I competed in Junior Pairs with Neralee Lane. We were so nervous but the Sutherland and Bexley girls were great, they helped us out as our coach Nicole Stevens couldn’t come with us. We gained SIXTH PLACE we were soooooooo excited! Actually at one stage, when we were training on the beach, we got a crowd of people watching because they thought we were busking – they asked our parents where to put the money!

Have you had any injuries from twirling?
Yes!!! So many bruises, black eyes, a cracked nose, torn ligament, blood blisters, eggs on elbow and head, fat lips and the list goes on… I’m a bit of a Gumby.

What are you looking forward to most about Norway?
I am looking forward to exploring yet another country as an Aussie – funny things ALWAYS happen at Worlds! I’m also very excited to be able to watch the team event this year; I haven’t been able to do that for many years.

Who is your baton twirling idol?
Catherine Moua from France. She is such a strong twirler and she really drags the audience in, I literally hold my breath when she’s twirling.

What is your goal for twirling this year?
My goal is to perform a personal best in freestyle in Norway!

What is your talent?

Gracie: What is your talent?
Cheryl: It's-- It's kind of like....
        It's, you know, it's like a surprise.
        But don't worry, it's nothing embarrassing.
Gracie: Not anything like baton twirling or anything.
        So, what's your talent?

Ah… That famous dialect from Miss Congeniality when Sandra Bullock made us cringe and enjoy a few moments of embarrassment in front of our non-baton-twirling friends.

Heather Burns, who played Cheryl, was a wonderful actress however required a stunt double to pull off her "talent."

Ever wondered who that stunt double may have been? They employed the lovely Dr. Coral Noonan-Terry who is a Texan baton twirler.

See her fifteen seconds of fame here.

2010 World Athlete Interview – Francine Stevens. Senior Pairs, Team.

What is your earliest memory of baton twirling?
I was the cute little one at the front in a Specialised (themed team event) when I was 5 years old! I didn’t officially begin twirling until I was 6 and then started competing and went to nationals in 2001 when I was 7.

What is one of your favourite routines you’ve ever done?
When I was a Juvenile, I did Dance Twirl (themed individual event) to a song from The Wizard of Oz about the scarecrow; ‘If I only had a brain!’ It was so funny, I took the character really seriously but I still laughed about it when I was on the floor. I ended up winning at nationals - shocking but awesome!
These days my favourite routine is this years Pairs with Jessica Colless, its epic! You’ll just have to wait and see!

When was your first World Championships?
Ontario, Canada in 2007. I turned 13 the day before performing; I competed in Junior Pairs with Vanessa. The experience and atmosphere of the world championships was amazing! Unfortunately I ended up getting really sick - I don’t think I’ve ever been that sick in my life! It was probably the best and worst time for me all combined into one… twirling made everything feel so much better though.

Have you had any injuries from twirling?
Yes! Countless bruises, lumps, blood blisters, and the list goes on! Only a few days ago Jessica and I were training as usual when there was a really loud bang - I had hit myself in the mouth… and chipped my tooth. I instantly thought "no worries, I’ll be right, no pain" until I spat out about a quarter of my front tooth! I freaked out; thinking the rest of my tooth had fallen out as well. We had a competition the next morning and I looked like a total ‘redneck’! Luckily the rest of my tooth was fine - everything was fixed and put back to normal the next day thanks to health insurance. It’s definitely something I don’t want happening ever again...

Are you looking forward to Norway?
Of course! I can’t wait… although it’s going to be hard work like always, I suppose. I’m looking forward to the whole experience because it’s so much fun. From the athlete’s party to the music test, it’s all worth the intense training sessions just to be on that floor doing what you love! Let’s just hope that volcano doesn’t get in our way...

2010 World Athlete Interview – Adam Gates. Senior Men Freestyle

When did you start baton twirling?
I started when I was three years old. Three of my sisters were twirling at the time so I tagged along.

Where was your first National Championships?
My first Nationals were in Melbourne and I remember I played the red Power Ranger as my character for Dance Twirl.

What is one of your favourite routines you’ve ever done?
In 2005 I was in the Australian Team when we went to America for the World Championships. I just loved our Jungle themed team! It had so much character and it was so different to anything we had ever done before.

When was your first World Championships?
This is my eighth world championships, my first one was in 2001 in Paris, France. I was competing in Junior Men Freestyle and I used the music from Zorro. I remember just moments before I went on the floor, in the warm-up area, I was practicing one of my tricks and the baton came down and smacked me in the eye! I was nursed by the French team and then went out onto the competition floor to compete against “little dude” (Keisuke) doing ‘Live and let die.’

What’s it like being the only male baton twirler in Australia?
Well in Australia they don’t separate the athletes into male and female so I’m used to being amongst all the girls (winks)!

Are you looking forward to Norway?  
Yes, I can’t wait to perform in Bergen. The country looks beautiful and it will be great to see everyone at the competition again.

Japanese baton twirler Mei Maruo on the Ellen DeGeneres Show!

"What in the world is Baton Twirling?"

Here lies a question that we Australian baton twirlers are faced with as frequently as we have barbeques. Failing to access a Youtube clip, we usually resort to picking up the nearest pen/pool cue/kitchen utensil and proceed to twirl it as best as physically possible through our fingers, around our body and up into the air. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of witnessing this spectacular, here is an insight.

So, what in the world is baton twirling? It is a sport, or arguably an art form due to its level and style and beauty, that involves the manipulation of a metal rod with the hands and body to a co-ordinated routine. It is thought to have started in Eastern Europe and Asia at dance festivals where they used knives, guns and sticks and then it progressed into armies where a rifle twirler was added to the front of marches. Eventually the rifle became a 'mace' and was later modified with smaller ends of light rubber, hollow light metal and balanced out. With more females becoming involved as majorettes, a Major then created the sport of baton twirling and spread the word.  

Unlike any other sport, baton twirling encompasses the physical stamina and agility of gymnastics and dance, the artistic expression and beauty of figure skating and ballet, and the technical skill of all these sports combined. Today, it is clearly a multi-faceted sport for everyone, children to adults, male and female, and it is a great recreation for school groups, community organisations and competition.