Twirling the Topaz way

Crawley Happy Times were invited down to meet the Topaz Baton Twirling Team at St Johns Church in Crawley to see what they are all about.

Jenny Johnson, Corps Director and Jodie O’Shaughnessy, Trainer, were there to greet us and introduce us to the team of baton twirlers. Jenny started baton twirling when she was just ten years old. Jenny went on to introduce her daughter to baton twirling when she was just three.

What is baton twirling?

Baton twirling is an international sport involving the movement of a metal rod while performing a rhythmic routine. The sport is enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels and is thought to have evolved from the practice of rifle twirling at army parades. Governed by two recognized organizations, the World Baton Twirling Federation and the World Twirling Association, twirlers can compete in various events at the World Championships and International Cup. Baton twirling is a recognized sport involving the balance and movement of a baton while performing a rhythmic, gymnastic-like routine.
SOURCE:

Who can attend the Topaz Baton Twirling Team classes?

Jenny told Crawley Happy Times “the class is open to everyone. There are no age restrictions. It is left down to the discretion of the parents, which also goes for any children with disabilities. We would like to get more boys involved to be honest. Our best twirler is a boy. We used to have about twenty five members but have diminished in members since Christmas. We would welcome anyone to come and try the class for free”. Jodie went on to say “Topaz Baton Twirling Team have represented England in the National for the last ten years. We are very proud of the standard of our baton twirlers and have members who travel to the classes from quite far afield”.

Laura Lambert let CHT finger puppet have a go at baton twirling

We spoke to the girls present. They were helping the younger ones with their practise and told us they enjoy the classess and love going to competitions. Laura Lambert told us “it has been a real boost for my confidence and I have made some great friends to”.

When and where are the classes held?

Classes are currently held at St Johns Church in Crawley’s town centre.
Mondays – Beginners Class 18.00 – 20.00
Sundays – Advanced Class 18.00 – 20.00
NOTE: The organisers are currently searching for a new venue with high ceilings (which is affordable). As much as they appreciate St John’s hospitality, they need a higher area. If you have any interest in helping please contact us directly and we will put you in touch with the organisers.

We would like to thank everyone for their hospitality, we were made most welcome.
We took some footage of the members practising and interviewed Jodie and Jenny. Thank you to the Laura Johnson, Rebecca Potterton and Laura Lambert for speaking to us.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 at 11:28 and is filed under Community, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.