A group of Sylvan Lake children are learning the basics of baton twirling in a set of eight-week sessions taught by Alberta Baton Twirling Association coach Chelsea Henning.
In these sessions, held in the gym at École Fox Run School, the children learn the basics of baton twirling such as moving the baton around their neck and moving the baton in a figure eight pattern, Henning said.
Other important skills the children learn is how to balance and twirl a baton, change direction and pattern, and hand-eye co-ordination.
To help the children learn these skills, Henning incorporates games into her sessions.
“For the figure eight the children twirl their wrist and we call it the ice cream scoop,” Henning said. “They have to scoop up on each side of their arm in a circular motion. It's baby steps. It's a lot of practicing, playing games and drilling.”
Henning also incorporates routine when teaching baton twirling because she said baton twirling is combined with dance and music.
“We do a routine that they really enjoy,” Henning said. “We just did an Adams family theme routine.”
Henning said that even as these sessions are just for recreation, her students are catching on really well to the basics of what baton twirling entails. She said she hopes to see them in her Heads Up Baton Twirling Club, which she will start in the fall.
“The little kids now are catching on very quickly because we're setting a good base foundation,” Henning said.
Baton twirling may look difficult to a spectator but Henning said it is fairly easy as long as the baton twirler has a good understanding of patterns and motion.
“It's really fun and it's different, and if they really like dance or gymnastics and want to do something different, this would be for them,” Henning said.
Henning said spectators are allowed to come and observe what the children do during the sessions.