Alrighty...
...so many amazing things to be said! My Aunt Michele is the Twirling Sweet Sensations Coach here in San Antonio. She has been twirling nearly all her life and holds numerous Championship Titles from 1975-1988, to include in 1981 the AAU National Solo & Strut Champion and Senior Grand National Strut Champion, as well as the Junior Olympics Gold Medalist! I knew this about her when I was a kiddo so it was no surprise that her dream was to found a Twirling Team! When I was asked to document her twirling team's recital, I was absolutely honored! However, I don't think I was fully aware of the talent I was about to witness.
***side note***tech geek out moment***For this project, I decided to rent a fantastic lens! I chose the Sony 70-200mm 2.8 lens. Oh my gosh! I was so impressed with its speed in auto-detection and sharpness of image. Loved the bokeh and blur achieved on those closeups! It totally set me up for success later down the road when it came time for editing. (Can someone tell my husband I want one...lol!)***
Ok, back to the recital! Wow, when I walked up to the pavilion at Pickrell Park, I was stunned by the large crowd! My Aunt Michele and her amazing staff were already working away showing the girls where their place was on the court for each routine. The twirlers range from age 5+! I was impressed by her organized set list of 18 performances. All are proof of her dedication and perfectionism to producing an amazing show to be celebrated by twirlers and parents alike, after such a hard year!
And then it started!
WHAT?! Like WHAT?!?!?! I twirled a little bit when I was a kid, so I had an idea of what I was in for! But oh my gosh! I was absolutely blown away by the athleticism and showmanship! The teams did a beautiful job and the soloists and duets were pristine! The spins and twirls and jumps, leaps and splits and then catching a whirling metal object just to start into the next move! Wow! I guess that is all I have to say is great job! I know this takes a lot of practice and discipline! I may not be great at explaining what I saw so hopefully a few of the pics from this event can do a better job!
A huge thanks to my Aunt Michele for asking me to do this project and a huge congratulations to all you twirlers for showing so much heart and a true love of the sport. And parents, I know you are so proud!
-D
