THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 15, 1994 TAG: 9407130159
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JANELLE LA BOUVE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
AFTER SIX YEARS of lessons and countless hours of practice, Anna Barrett, 13, is already a veteran baton twirler.
She knows the ins and outs of competition too. And on the hearth in the family home in the northwest section of the city, 35 trophies attest to her expertise.
Her most recent win came at the State Baton Twirling competition in Richmond where she won the advanced state two baton championship.
Both her instructor and her parents found it remarkable that she placed first.
``I was surprised because this competition was on the advanced level and she had just moved up,'' said Shelby Manning, who is her teacher at Northampton Dance Studio in Newport News.
About 200 youngsters participated in the overall competition. In her category, there were about 10 competitors.
Barrett's competition required a full three minute performance without stopping.
``If they drop the baton, that takes off a half point,'' Manning said. ``The highest score is 100. Her score probably was around 80. And that's a high score for twirling.''
``This was her first advanced competition,'' said her mother Susan Barrett who twirled during her youth and loves having her daughter involved. ``Her winning was a nice surprise.
``But she has practiced for hours on her routines. I think she deserved it.''
Her two baton routines include open arm rolls with the baton literally rolling over both upturned outstretched arms. The basics include figure 8, right and left wrist twirl, two hand spins, body passes during which the twirler passes the batons behind the back, behind the knees and between the legs. There are always the two handed finger twirls.
As a member of Shelvy's Super Stars which is affiliated the Northampton Dance Studio, Barrett says she has learned a lot.
``When's she's with a group, dance is involved - both ballet and jazz,'' said Manning who choreograph's routines for her students. ``But when she competes alone, she has to have good body work, good posture, good showmanship and good footwork like a ballet dancer. All the criteria for ballet applies to solo twirling.''
``It's fun and I've gained a lot of self confidence,'' said Barrett who has been twirling since she was six or seven. ``I don't have stage fright because I'm always in front of people.
``If I have a speech or something, I'm not scared. And there are a lot of opportunities all over the place to get twirling scholarships.''
Twirling also helps her to keep fiscally fit and flexible.
``You have to be real limber'' she said.
She plays flute in the Greenbrier Christian Academy band and hopes the band may provide future opportunities for twirling.
Twirling with the team even provides modeling experience.
``We have to model full length gowns, and have to curl your hair and everything,'' said Barrett.
The girls are judged on grace, carriage, posture, balance, poise, turns and pivots and smiles, which come readily to Barrett.
And she travels a lot. The family has made trips to competitions from Indiana to Texas.
Their mother makes the 1-hour-10-minute trip to the Newport News studio at least once each week so that Anna and her younger sister, Kanani, can attend twirling classes. Before competitions, they go to class two or three times weekly. In August she will attend the Hampton Roads band front camp.
``When they moved here girls started coming here for classes,'' Manning said. ``They are wonderful. They have the right attitude for competition and for getting along with other girls.
``Anna is really a hard worker and she enjoys it. She's a student who's always willing to try something new and always willing to take instructions. She's the kind of person teachers enjoy working with.''
Manning feels that Barrett has the ability to be one of the winners who will eventually compete for a national twirling title or the Miss Majorette title.
Academically the teenager is no slouch either. She makes the honor roll every semester and has narrowed her down her career choices. She hopes to be either an aeronautical or electrical engineer.
``My grandfather was big into science,'' she said. ``He took me to the space center in Florida several times. I hope to work for NASA and maybe in the space station if they get it built.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
Anna Barrett has 35 trophies to show for her six years of lessons in
baton twirling.
by CNB