Baton Twirling

Baton Twirling.

Even though it is not famous sport, it has many attractive points to tell about. Since I was doing baton twirling for six years, I learned many things about baton twirling and morals of how to behave in society.

Baton Twirling is a sport which belongs to same category as ballet dance, figure skating and gymnastics. As you guys can understand from the word “Baton Twirling”, in this sport, twirlers twirl baton. Baton consists from shaft which is made from silver, and two ends of shaft have rubber made weights called ball and tip that is for keep valance of baton to twirl beautifully. Baton Twirling requires not just baton. It also requires dancing. There are many genres in dancing however; ballet and rhythmic gymnastics are commonly used in baton twirling.

Do you think baton twirling is just for girls and women, but not for boys and men? It is not correct. Before WWII had begun, the man, called Majer C. W. Booth, introduced and spread baton twirling by visited and performed in many different countries. However, soon WWII had started, therefore men had to go to military and men baton twirler population was decreased and became popular among women.

Baton Twirling is originally from traditional dance, which was danced with using knifes and twirling sticks. I think you have seen the dancer who is having sticks that has fire on both ends. That is one kind of origin of baton twirling. Also, from conductor of marching band

There are two big baton twirling associations: World Baton Twirling Federation (WBTF) which was established in 1977 because if the increasing of the number of baton twirler population, and World Twirling Association (WTA) to conduct World Championship, usually held in every August.

In baton twirling, there are many kinds of divisions when we compete to competition that are; solo, pair, two batons, three batons, and team routine. In Japan, my Junior and Senior High School competed to the competition in June, September, November, that is regional competition and January which is national competition.

I was belonging to baton twirling team in my Junior and Senior High School and little bit in the University. I competed in team routine. For the team routine, each team should have theme and by following this theme, we decides song, and choreography. Usually people tend to think that dancing especially ballet dancing has to be beautiful and flexible. However in the baton twirling, add to ballet basic movements, twirlers required more expression and accuracy of twirling technique is required too.

Baton Twirling is a wonderful sport even though it is not famous.

This series of articles that I will post are based on my experiences from JHS, HS and Univ. and introducing baton twirling because I want to share and spread what baton twirling is.

Baton Twirling: Comparing Canada and Japan

Baton Twirling: Comparing Canada and Japan

Mizuki Kuwahara

In grade 9, I had to decide which course I want to go in high school; Super English Language Course (we call it SEL course), which is a course include one year of exchange student in abroad and study all subjects in English conducted by native English speaker, or ordinary course, which is all class conducted in Japanese. I had heard that if I take SEL course, I cannot enter any sports team, because the class is until 7^th period, and many assignments, so no time for practice and hard to handle. Therefore, it was hard for me to choose baton or English because I love both and I knew that both are really attractive.

As I told in my last blog, I learned that my effort will pay me back. Another thing that I learned from my Junior High School life with baton is; “限界を決めるのはいつも自分” which means there is no limit, if you don’t decide it, or always you decide the limit. I decided to do both, because I did not want to make limit on myself. Actually it was not just me who entered SEL course and joined to sports team. Kunika joined girls’ soccer team, Kimuchi was in Kendo team and some of my friends were in volleyball team and brass band.

When I was grade 10, after three months I enter High School, I left Japan for studying abroad in Canada for a year. I arrived at Regina airport and my host mother told me “I saw your picture doing baton on application form. I found baton school in here, so you can go, if you want to, because I think it is better for you to make friends and English, also it makes you easier to join your team in Japan when you go back. ” Of course I replied “Yes!! I want to practice baton! I think it is good for me and I want to know how practice is conducted is different.”

I chose Martin School of Dance and Baton Twirling. I did not know it is strongest dance team in Regina, Saskatchewan, and many baton twirlers go to World Competition, which held in once a year in August. I decided to compete in solo routine, because I thought it is good chance to improve my twirling skill.

One difference in the ways of practice is conducted between Japan and Canada was length of time of practice. I had a jazz class and two baton class in a week. I was really happy because I did not have practice every day and I had lot of time to hang out with my Canadian friend and host family. I think the reason why Canada has less practice time is, culture is different. In Japan, people have become no consideration on having good time with their family on weekdays or weekends. The society became put effort on improving economy but not on the family. Japan knows that we have to work hard for compete with other country. However, in Canada, the time flew slowly and many people think spending time with their family or yourselves is more important.

Another difference that I realize is the quality of skills is higher in Japan. Japanese people work very hard, put many efforts for making sensitive things and do minute works. I think this is why Japanese twirler are always on the top in each division in World Competition. Japanese twirlers are more flexible, twirl baton faster than Canadian twirlers. If the twirler is flexible and baton twirls fast, the body line, dancing and baton shape looks beautiful and these considered when judges decide prize. Also, practice place was different. Usually to practice baton it requires high height roof. My team mostly practiced outside because other club teams using gym and we had less opportunities of using gym. However, most of baton school in Japan, baton studio have higher roof, or use gym instead. In Canada, they used old school’s gym, so I could always practice inside, but it was really small and roof was low. This cause when they toss baton, spin and catch it, their spins are not beautiful enough, because they hurry to spin many times before they catch it.

Your effort will pay you back-Mizuki

Your effort will pay you back

Mizuki Kuwahara

I took entrance exam and I entered Ritsumeikan Uji Junior High School, which is attached school of Ritsumeikan University. Although I had to get good grades in my courses to get in University, I was guaranteed to enter Ritsumeikan Uji High School and Ritsumeikan University without taking entrance exams. I had to study, but I had not take entrance exams so I did not need to go to calm school; therefore I had plenty of time to focus on club activity.

Belong to club activity was compulsory in my Junior High School. I was wondering which club activity I should join; baton or basketball. I chose to belong to baton team because when I took pre-lesson, I found it is really cool, I had learnt hip-hop dance before, and the main point was practice is twice in a week! I thought it is going to be easy to handle both study and baton twirling. When I was around grade 3, the Baton Twirling was boom among elementary school students, so I had played with “toy baton” which was made by plastic and many kinds of colors; however I had never taken lessons from baton coach before I enter Junior High School.

While High School team had competition, Junior High team was not competing before my generation entered, because school was quiet new and team didn’t have enough members to compete, so we just practiced many skills. The half of my first year in Junior High, until the end of summer, we did not have lessons a lot. However, influence of the High School team competing in competition, we decided to try to enter competition. By our coaches’ “やるからには本気で取り組む” (yarukaraniha honnkide torikumu) spirit; which is if you decided to do it, do it seriously, practice, put effort a lot, and try really hard, our goal was set on get Gold prize in National competition.

We had competition in June, September, November (Region Competition) and January (if we get ticket to go to Nationals in Region Competition). Similar as figure skates, in competition, the judges give us points based on what levels of skill we use, how dancing and twirling and positioning (composing) are matching with music and theme and each members’ dancing and twirling are harmonizing well with other teammates. The judges gave as points and its average effect which prize we can get, Gold, Silver or Bronze. Gold is for 85-100, Silver is for 84-70 and less than 69 is considered as Bronze.

Like other sports or artistic things such as piano, usually the famous baton twirlers started learning it when they are little. In my team, there was a senpai, who started baton twirling when she was three, and she was really good at both twirling and dancing. However I and same grades teammates start it from 12 years old, so there were huge gap between her. We were newly formed team and there was no history that is made by seniors, so we had to practice a lot for competing and win over them. We practiced every day except Wednesday during the semester, and 9am to 6pm everyday during the second summer vacation. Sometimes we got fight with our coach and instructor because our opinion were different and we discussed long time until both agrees on it.

In first and second competition we had, we got silver prize, but from third competition, we could get gold prize in a low. In grade 8 year, we could not go to National Competition. I remember clearly when I heard the announcement, about which team can go to Nationals, did not call “Ritsumeikan Uji junior high school”. We put many efforts and I didn’t hang out with my friends that year, but still we could not go to Nationals. I knew that going to nationals is not easy, but we had hope. The result was if we had one more point we could go to nationals.

Next year, new team consisted with nine grade 9 members include me and 25 new members from grade 8. The theme for this year’s routine was “くのいち～女の戦い～” (Kunoichi ~onnna no tatakai~) which described the fighting scene of the Japanese lady Ninjya with the music which used Japanese flute, Shakuhachi, and western style drums. As same as previous year, we practiced every day and had all day practice and as same as not easy year. It was really big team and hard to unite everyone’s motivation and we had meeting many times. I went through slump this year, but I over came it. Our team got tickets to Nationals. I remember when I heard announcement that said our team name as clearly as when I heard that we could not go to Nationals. I was really happy and I remember I screamed and cried so hard because of happiness and relief. In nationals, surprisingly our team got Gold prize! It was unexpected, because it was first time to competing in there, so we were very happy and we learned that the efforts that we make will pay us back.

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This is video of National competition when I was grade 9. There are many mistakes and drops so it was not perfect performance… and sorry about the video quality is really low and cannot see baton well…

Introduction to Baton Twirling - Mizuki

Introduction to Baton Twirling           

                                                                                                                         Mizuki Kuwahara

             Baton twirling is a sport, involving dance with sticks that have two rods on the both ends. Although I quit the baton team in University, I still love baton twirling and I eager to tell and show everyone to what baton twirling is!

  

       (Brief History) The origin of Baton Twirling comes from traditional dance in East Europe and Asia, which was danced with knifes, rifles, torches and sticks to twirl and toss. I think you have seen the dancer who has stick with fire on the both ends and that is a kind of origin of baton twirling. Also, army marches and marching bands, they use rifles or fake rifles which have shape of rifle but made from plastics, and there is no place to put bullet in. In Marching Band there is a conductor, who has a long stick and moves it up and down to conduct the music and there are many color guards and flags that the members of the marching band throw it with the accompaniment to the music. These kinds of things effect to the invention of the baton twirling.

(Parts of a Baton) Baton consists from three parts: shaft, which is metal stick part, and ball and tip which are both end have these rubber weight. There is many length of shaft, we usually use baton which is same length as arm. Therefore we can enjoy baton twirling from little children to adults and change our baton to longer one when we grown up. Ball is little heavier than tip and this little difference in weight makes baton to twirl well when we throw it and keeps in good looks when we twirling it.

(Associations) Each countries have own associations in the country, however there are big two associations: World Baton Twirling Federation (WBTF) which was established in 1977 because of the increasing of the number of baton twirler population, and World Twirling Association (WTA) that conduct World Baton Championships and International Cup. In 1980, the first World Championship was held in Seattle, Washington, and nowadays usually it is held in once in a year in August. The members of WBTF are: “Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Catalonia, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Seychelles, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States”(Wikipedia). Members of the WTA are: “Australia Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Japan Slovenia and South Africa” (Wikipedia). I was surprised because there are no Korea and China and Asian country is just Japan and some African countries are involved in. These shows baton twirling is still not a major sport in the world, I guess.

(Style) Do you think baton twirling is just for girls and women? No, it is not true. As same as ballet dancer, gymnastics, and figure skating, there are boys and men baton twirlers. Majer C. W. Booth is an American man and first person who spread baton twirling is. He went many countries, performed there and spread baton twirling. However the WWII began therefore men had to go to army and women twirler population was increased. There are many kinds of competitive events in baton twirling. Solo freestyles or compulsory with one baton, Two baton, Three baton, Team and Pair. Each event performance is about three and half minute inside the 25m×15m (for team) area and it sounds like easy to keep dancing that long. However actually it is really use muscles and moves a lot, so it is said baton twirler use same power during the performance as when we run 800m with the speed as fast as the we can.

Next post will be about “Baton Twirling and Me”.

Resources: Wikipedia, Baton twirling　 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baton_twirling

           ウィズバトンネット、バトンとは？　http://www.wis-baton.net/baton.html