Recently, the sound of marching bands and drums could be experienced from the inside of the La Hacienda Regional Recreation Complex.
Due to the technical proficiency displayed by those marching, if no one knew otherwise, one would conclude it was a true parade rehearsal.
Camp Villages and The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps, on the other hand, were hosting a baton twirling event.
The fundamentals of baton twirling were taught to the campers. Captain Ann Pelle, of the Village of Briar Meadow, notified the pupils at the end of the class that they were excellent enough to be in a real parade.
“It went fabulous,” Pelle said. “I was really happy with the kids, and I’m just as happy with the grandparents for giving the kids something to do.”
To begin the day, campers were given a baton that was the best fit for their height. The campers were then paired up with an instructor who could provide more in-depth assistance if needed.
The campers’ first order of business was to learn how to handle a baton, with everyone lined up a safe distance apart. Twirlers constantly hold the baton in their right hand, regardless of which hand is their dominant hand. Two more twirling rules were taught to the kids: Always march left foot first, and everything must be done to an eight count.
With the guidance of the drum corps, campers learned six sections of a parade march and put them all together to march in a parade around the room. The parade’s high point came when grandparents lined up at the end of the line next to their grandchildren and marched alongside them.
Julia, Louise Moody’s 10-year-old granddaughter, marched beside her grandmother, Louise Moody, of the Village of Caroline. When she was younger, the elder Moody didn’t twirl but was a cheerleader, which has some connections. It was a lot of fun to march in the mini-parade with her granddaughter.
“It was really fun,” Moody said. “It was good exercise, too.”
Pelle and her fellow twirlers took the lead in putting the parade together, starting with learning how to march to the count of eight. The young twirlers then learned how to move their arms from top to bottom, like a clock hand. The campers combined the steps into the first portion of their routine.
The next step was to learn their first twirls, which is the sport’s namesake. The larger end of the baton, known as the ball, remains under the extended arm while the smaller end spins above it in a flat twirl. It was time for the next twirl after learning a “pulls,” in which twirlers pull their hands to their hips.
It’s exactly what it sounds like: a figure-eight twirl. Campers swung their baton around to make it look like an eight. To assist them to understand, they were told to act like they were scooping ice cream.
The figure eight was Julia’s favorite element of the dance. She struggled a little at first, like many campers, but rapidly caught on and filled the room with smiles.
Julia doesn’t twirl at home, but she had so much fun that she decided to give it a try. “It was a little bit hard, but when you catch on it’s easier,” she said.
Each camper received a certificate and one of the numerous medals the twirling team has won in the past at the end of the parade.
Pelle treasures the smiles and memories she creates as she passes on her passion to the next generation. “People ask us about picketing it back up, and we love that,” Pelle said. “But with Camp Villages, it gives us a chance to pass it down to other generations. And that’s really fun.”