Katie Bloodworth, left, and Emma Owen stretch at the begining of twirling class.
Jenny Hannah poses for a portrait Monday afternoon before a United twirling class in Chattanooga, Tenn. Hannah has been twirling since she was 7-years-old and is now a twirling instructor. Hannah will be competing for a world title in twirling this summer.BATON MOVES• Left Backhand Release Double Knuckle Pop• Lasso Straddle• Thumb Flip Under Leg• Double Leg Roll• Elbow-Arm Roll• Palm Spin Bat Up• Leg-to-Leg• Helicopter
Ashley Holt is spinning plans for a creative future.
“When I grow up, I want to be a famous baton twirler or an artist,” the 9-year-old says.
Her love of drawing comes naturally, but she’s been actively working on the baton skill set for about three years.
“I love twirling,” Ashley says. “At first, it was really hard because I wanted to twirl like my friend, but she had been taking lessons already. Finally, I got better. But I do have to practice a lot. I go to lessons about three times a week. I go early so I can practice before class.”