Last summer, in Stockton, California, the Sundancers earned their spot on Team USA by winning the US Twirling Association’s national title in the Entertainment Corps division. They went on to win the Esprit de Corps Cup, awarded to the highest-scoring corps of the competition. This qualified the team for the World Championship in Liverpool, England, this August! The group will represent the USA in the ShowTwirl with Accessories Corps competition.
The corps event consists of groups with over 10 girls presenting a four-minute routine. During their routine, the Sundancers will use props and multiple batons to develop their theme. It will take hours of hard work to perfect the routine, but these athletes are up to the challenge. In preparation for the World Championship, the team will perform at several competitions such as NBTA States, Miss Majorette of Florida, USTA States, USTA Regionals, and The National Championships at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee this July.
The 13 Lake Nona twirlers of the qualifying corps invited twirling friends from around the state to expand to a tight-knit group of 24 talented twirlers. Among this team of 24, five local Lake Nona girls have qualified in individual events:
Mckenzie Cooke, 23, Lake Nona High School Class of 2018. She received a scholarship to the University of Mississippi, where she was one of three Feature Twirlers. She graduated from Ole Miss in 2022. Mckenzie has qualified for Nations Cup in four individual events: Adult X-Strut, Artistic Twirl, Two Baton, and Three Baton.
Taylor Wolfe, 21, LNHS Class of 2019. She recently graduated from the University of Florida, where she was a UF Gatorette. She will be continuing her education, seeking a Masters in Mass Communication. Taylor has qualified for Nations Cup Adult X-Strut.
Ella Earnest, 20, LNHS Class of 2021. She is a sophomore and one of four Feature Twirlers at the University of Missouri. Ella has qualified for Nations Cup in Senior X-Strut.
Dylan Loucks, 15, is currently a sophomore at LNHS. Iris Ewasko, 12, is in seventh grade and will be attending LNHS in 2024. This pair qualified for the World Championship in Junior Elite Artistic Duet.
None of this would be possible without Coach Lynette Starkey. Because of her dedication and years of experience, she has remarkable knowledge of the sport. The Sundancers have been training athletes since 1986, and Lynette has been the head coach since 1989. Lynette has been like a parent to all of her students. She not only teaches baton lessons but life lessons as well. She has seen a lot of success from her twirlers throughout the years. She has coached Feature Twirlers at many prestigious universities, Miss Majorettes of Florida, as well as state, regional, national, and world champions in both team and individual events. This will be the first time she has taken a team of this size across the world.
The World Championship is the highest level of competition for baton twirlers. There will be representatives from countries such as Japan, Norway, Netherlands, France, Canada, the United States, and many more. It is an opportunity for the athletes to learn about other cultures, meet one another, and see how others train and perform.
The 2023 World Championship will take place from Aug. 4-13. The 10-day competition will include individual and group events, clinics and athlete parties. The twirlers and their parents are looking forward to the Olympic-style opening ceremony with all the countries coming together.
This year’s World Championship is a historic milestone in this sport as it marks the very first time the entire sport is united as the International Baton Twirling Federation. The formation of the IBTF is the first step to making Baton Twirling an Olympic sport.
Even though many countries around the world participate in baton twirling, it is not a widely recognized sport. It is a sport like any other – it usually starts as an after-school or recreational program, and the athletes learn about sportsmanship, showmanship, motivation and teamwork, just to name a few. This is not a sport for just girls; there have been many successful male twirlers throughout its history. Baton twirlers perform in parades, at fairs, on football fields, and even at Miss America pageants. Our athletes have even had the opportunity to travel the world to places such as Colombia, France, Ireland, England, Peru, and the Virgin Islands. Next stop: Liverpool, England!
The Sundancers Baton Twirlers currently have classes in the Lake Nona and Hunter’s Creek areas. They will be expanding to new areas in the fall.
Follow us as we GO FOR GOLD:
Facebook: Sundancers Baton and Dance – Instagram: @SundancersTwirlers Corps Facebook: Making Corps Memories – Corps Instagram: @Making_Corps_Memories For summer schedule information, please email us at sdtwirlers@gmail.com. For more information, to contact us, or to donate to Team USA, visit: www.sundancerstwirlers.com.
