Twirl-N-Talent

While at the competition Tyler met several young men who twirl at the collegiate level as well as some who have been featured on Americas Got Talent and others who will be representing the USA in Belgium at the upcoming World Competition in 2009.

Several Twirl-N-Talent Teams also competed under the name T-N-T Dynamite.  The “NEW ATTITUDE” routine, a 7 minute production number, captured the team their first national title, the Jr. National Twirling Corps 2008 Champions.  This title has not been won by an Iowa team for many years.

The teams were primarily coached by Melissa Lankston with Nicole Barreca as the assistant coach.  Additionally, the Pom Teams placed 6th in the Primary Pom category and 8th overall in the Jr. Pom category.  Beginner dance Twirl teams placed 12th and 18th in Junior large and Junior small divisions respectively.

Members of the team included: Lyn Claussen, Mary-Beth Cunningham, Genevieve Ehlers, Maggie Gehlsen, Rachel Lindsly, Sierra Long, Savannah Necker, Alexandra Necker, Nicole Petersen, Alexis Schroeder, Emma-Kate Wichman, Karen Whitman and Jr. Coach Nicole Barreca.


In the age-old Disney tradition of making dreams come true, Melissa Lankston, owner and coach of "Twirl - N - Talent Performance Academy of DeWitt, Iowa, took 13 competing members of the TNT Dynamite teams to compete at Twirl Mania in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida February 16 - 19, 2007.

Twirl mania is in it's 12th year as a National/World competition that is open to all twirling organizations. This year several thousand twirlers participated. Event information and results are available on-line at www.twirlmania.com.
The TNT Dynamite Teams not only competed, but brought back the "Gold", placing 1st in: Beginning Small Juvenile Dance Twirl, Juvenile ½ Time Pom Show, and Juvenile Show Corp with props. They placed 2nd in Juvenile Half Time Show Team and 4th in Beginning Small Junior Dance Twirl.  The teams also submitted audition tapes to compete and perform in the Dreams Come True and Spectra Magic parades, in which they placed 12th and 6th.

The girls had worked very hard this last year to prepare for the competition, including numerous fundraisers, and weekend practice times.  They also have many businesses to thank for sponsorship money that was donated toward this once in a lifetime experience.

Individual placings from Twirl Mania were as follows:

Lyn Claussen  -  2nd Duet with Mary-Beth Cunningham (18-28), 7th Advanced Basic Strut (10-12), 3rd Auxiliary Dance Solo (0-13), 17th Intermediate Miss Twirl Mania (10-12), 7th Advanced Super X Strut (10-12), 13th Intermediate Solo (10-12), 1st Beginner Military Strut (10-12)

Genevieve Ehlers  -  10th Beginner 2 Baton Solo (10-12), 7th Beginner Pageant Solo (10-12), 5th Auxiliary Combo Solo (0-13), 10th Auxiliary Flag Solo (0-13), 5th Pairs/Freestyle Duet (0-28) with Hailey Saunders, 9th Military Strut (10-12)

Rachel Lindsey  -  4th Novice Solo (7-9)

Nicole Petersen  -  6th Beginner Miss Twirl Mania (7-9), 4th Advanced Best Appearing (7-9), 4th Novice Basic Strut (7-9), 7th Novice Super X Strut (7-9), 5th Beginner 2 Baton Solo (7-9), 8th Beginner Duet (18-28) with Emma-Kate Wichman

Hailey Saunders  -  1st Novice Basic Strut (7-9), 1st Beginner Military Strut (7-9), 2nd Novice Super X Strut (7-9), 3rd Beginner Solo (7-9), 1st Beginner Duet (0-17) with Mackenzie Wagener, 5th Pairs/Freestyle Duet (0-28) with Genevieve Ehlers, 7th Beginner Miss Twirl Mania (7-9)

Alexis Schroeder  -  4th Novice Miss Twirl Mania (0-6), 1st Photogenic, 3rd Novice Military Strut (0-6), 4th Novice 2 Baton Solo (0-6), 4th Novice Solo (0-6), 5th Novice Best Appearing (0-6), 6th Novice Pom Solo (0-6), 9th Flag/pom Combo, 11th Novice Basic Square (0-6), 11th Flag Solo

Mackenzie Wagener  -  1st Novice Super X Strut (7-9), 3rd Novice Basic Square (7-9), 1st Beginner Duet (0-17) with Hailey Saunders, 14th Beginner Solo (7-9), 14th Novice 2 Baton Solo (7-9),

Karen Whitman  -  8th Advanced Basic Strut (13-15), 11th Advanced 3 Baton Solo (13-15), 16th Advanced 2 Baton Solo (13-15), 10th Advanced Open Solo (13-15), 10th Advanced High School Classic (14-18), 16th Advanced Miss Twirl Mania (13-15), 27th Twirl Mania Gold Elite (13-16)

Maggie Gehlsen  -  9th Intermediate Miss Twirlmania (10-12), 10th Solo, 13th X-Strut, 10th Modeling, 06th Auxiliary Dance, Emma Kate Wichman, 10th Advance Best Appearing, 8th Intermediate Miss Twirlmania, 1st Modeling, 10th X-Strut

By Susan Jessen, Herald Staff Writer | Sunday, December 31, 2006

DeWITT, Iowa | Regulars of the Prairie Hills exercise group are gathering for their morning workout, when they are informed by their activity director, Erin Jenkins, that they’re having a guest lead them in their routine that day — Miss Clinton County. Several of the ladies seem pleasantly surprised, and impressed the pageant winner would take the time to take part in their class. It’s not every day you have a beauty pageant winner in your midst. Sarah Hythecker is soon at the front of the class, thanking her audience for the opportunity to lead them in their exercises. As Hythecker explains to the class, part of her platform as Miss Clinton County is to educate and involve all members of the community in health, wellness and physical exercise. “There are all sorts of fun ways to exercise,” Hythecker tells her students as she starts her CD player, adjusts the volume and leads them through their stretches. She hands out their equipment for the class — ribbon batons, small wooden rods with long colorful silk streamers attached to the end. “Let’s all start by writing our names in the air with our batons,” she instructs the participants, and the air suddenly fills with the brightly hued streamers as each person writes their name, first with one hand, then the other.

The fact Hythecker chose the ribbon baton for today’s class is probably based on several factors, one being it’s lightweight and easily maneuverable by her older class, and two, Hythecker has more than a passing interest in the baton — it was her talent as a twirler that helped her clinch the title of Miss Clinton County on Aug. 11 at Clinton High’s Vernon Cook Theatre. Yes, Sarah Hythecker is a baton-twirling pageant queen. And that’s where the stereotype ends. Because the pageants of today are a far cry from the “beauty pageants” of the past. Gone is the emphasis on beauty over substance, replaced by an emphasis at today’s pageants on the contestants’ intelligence, talents, poise and presentation skills. Jeanne Williams, executive director of the Miss Clinton County Scholarship Program, says the pageant is indeed “very different” from that experienced by previous generations of participants. Contestants, Williams explains, must be community-minded, flexible and serve as a role model to the area they represent.

The Clinton County pageant, Williams continues, is one of the few in Iowa that is “closed,” open only to those living in the county. And the pageant is part of the Miss America organization, the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance to young women ($45 million in cash and assistance last year alone.) Contestants’ platforms must reflect a strong commitment to community. As in Hythecker’s case, Sarah has long had an interest in health and wellness, currently attending the University of Northern Iowa full-time, as a junior in exercise science. So her platform focuses on educating the public on the benefits of physical activity, and involving parents and their children in the fight against childhood obesity. “Now we’ll make snakes on the floor with our ribbons,” says Hythecker, and each senior stretches out over their chair to make a critter on the carpet. Two children, visiting their grandma, see the festive activity and run to join in the class, much to the delight of the class. “Sarah actually called me, “says Erin Jenkins, Prairie Hills’ activity director, “to see if I’d be interested in having her lead our exercise class, and I said that would be wonderful.” That’s just one way Hythecker has worked to bring her platform to the people. She’s introduced creative dance to youngsters at the Felix Adler Children’s Discovery Center, started the races at the Symphony of Lights 5K run/walk and spoken to classes in schools about the importance of being physically fit.

As Miss Clinton County, she is expected to work in her county, whenever she is not attending classes full time in Cedar Falls. On this day, her itinerary includes speaking to the Clinton Kiwanis, a sponsor of the $1,500 interview award Hythecker had won during the pageant competition. Between the award and winning the pageant, Hythecker’s efforts garnered her $2,950 in scholarship monies. Every Miss Clinton County contestant, adds Williams, receives a monetary award for participation in the pageant. Women are matched with local business sponsors, (Jaycees, the Kiwanis, Riverboat Days) who provide the contestants the financial support to participate in the pageant, freeing each woman to focus solely on her talent and presentation development. “The scholarship was my primary reason for entering the pageant,” admits Hythecker, who’s putting herself through college. Her goal? To become a pediatric physical therapist, working with those children affected by accident or illness. Sarah was also Miss Scott County 2005, taking advantage of that county’s “open” pageant status, which led to her becoming the fourth runner up at the Miss Iowa competition.

Through all of her previous pageant experience, Hythecker has developed the poise, self-confidence and presentation skills necessary in her work to bring her message of health and wellness to the residents of Clinton County. In perfect time to the music, Hythecker’s class is now in the midst of doing the Bunny Hop in their chairs, each participant likely reminiscing of their youthful turns on the dance floor. Then it’s on to the Hokey-Pokey, and the class is through. Sarah thanks the class, complimenting them on how well they all did — including the two young ones.

As Sarah prepares to change for her meeting with the Kiwanis Club, she’s asked if she gets to keep the crown after her reign is over. “No, it’s a traveling crown, and is passed on to each new winner,” Sarah explains with a smile. “But they do give each winner this crown pin,” she says, pointing to the brooch on her sweater, “which I get to keep, to remind me of all the great experiences I’ve had as Miss Clinton County.”

QC Times, By Steven Martens | Monday, August 22, 2005

DeWITT, Iowa |  Melissa Lankston was taking a break from her studies at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport 10 years ago when her calling in life fell from the sky. Luckily, she's adept at catching things.

Lankston, who began baton twirling at age 3 in her hometown of Clinton, had been teaching baton twirling classes for the Clinton Parks and Recreation Department. When her students started winning competitions, Lankston decided to take her life in a new direction and open her own twirling and dance studio. "I just decided that this is what I need to be doing with my life," she said. "I felt I was really making a difference in people's lives."

Lankston opened the Twirl-N-Talent Performance Studio in DeWitt. Lankston said that while most studios offer baton twirling as an afterthought, hers is a baton twirling studio that also offers courses in ballet, jazz, pointe and tap dancing, as well as tumbling and poms. Courses are offered for children as young as 3, and her oldest student now is a sophomore at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

Lankston started competing at the age of 4 and also took dance lessons at studios in Clinton. She learned twirling from several coaches and began teaching others in Clinton when she was a junior at Clinton High School. When she was teaching in Clinton, Lankston said she had 12 students. She now has about 150 students, as well as two secretaries, two dance and tumbling instructors and two twirling instructors.

"We've accomplished something in 15 years, I guess," she said. Lankston's students keep a busy schedule. Classes for this year began Aug. 15, and will run through May. The students march in seven to 10 local parades per year and give about five free performances at community events. Lankston also oversees the TNT Dynamite competitive team and said some of the students on the team train year-round for the national competition at the University of Notre Dame in July in South Bend, Ind. Individually, student can participate in as many as 20 competitions per year, such as the Bill Riley Talent Search competition and local pageants associated with the Miss America scholarship organizations.

Lankston keeps pretty busy herself. She said that in addition to accompanying her team to performances, she also is a member of the National Baton Twirling Association and is a certified judge for the group, which requires her to travel to judge competitions throughout the country. She said the ability to travel and set her own hours are two of the positive things about her job. Because her job takes so much of her time, Lankston said she doesn't have many other hobbies, but does enjoy spending time with her husband, Jeffrey, and son, 16-month-old Tyler, who already has marched in four parades with his mother's students. "His favorite toy is really a baton," Lankston said. "I try to take them away because I don't want people to think I make him twirl a baton, but he loves them.

" One of Lankston's students, 14-year-old Allyson Ilg of DeWitt, said she, too, was taken by baton twirling immediately. Ilg said she was attending the Grace Lutheran Church Camp in DeWitt and saw Lankston give a twirling demonstration. She thought it looked fun and now has been twirling for six years. "She teaches you to be confident and to have lots of showmanship," Ilg said of her teacher. "She keeps it fun." Lankston said twirling is a sport that requires physical ability and coordination, and also teaches self-confidence and sportsmanship. She said her dream job would be to franchise her studio and teach those values to students everywhere. "It would be great to have students all over," she said.

By Staff, Quad City Times | Tuesday, August 09, 2005

DeWITT, Iowa  Members of Twirl and Talent Performance Academy, DeWitt, Iowa, won awards at the 2005 Miss Majorette of Iowa competition May 7 in Norwalk, Iowa. Each girl represented her age division and level. They are coached by Melissa Lankston.

Winners and their awards include:

Katy Paulsen, Davenport, Miss Majorette of Iowa, first place (age 13-15); Instate Baton Solo, first place; Instate Super-X Strut Intermediate, second place; and Flag, second place.

Emma Kate Wichman, Bettendorf, Miss Majorette of Iowa, first place (age 0-6); Advanced Modeling, first place; Advanced Miss Springtime, runner up; Open Beginner Baton Solo, first place; and Open Super-X Strut, first place.

Lyn Claussen, Long Grove, Miss Majorette of Iowa, first place (age 7-9); Miss Springtime, first place; Open Beginner Modeling and Super-X Strut, first place; Instate Beginner Super-X Strut, first place; Instate Beginner Baton Solo, second place.

By Thomas Geyer - QC Times| Friday, June 10, 2005

ELDRIDGE, Iowa  With music and dancing from the 1920s, 1950s, 1970s and 1980s, the Miss Iowa Scholarship Pageant 2005 got under way Thursday night in front of about 500 people at the North Scott High School auditorium here.

The pageant will determine which of one of the 19 contestants will represent the state in the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City in September. Half of the contestants hit the stage with their talents while the rest donned their swimsuits and casual and formal clothing for the fitness, casual wear and evening wear competition. The roles will be reversed tonight as the pageant continues. The final night of the pageant is Saturday. The preliminary talent winner after Thursday's competition ended was Sarah Hythecker, Miss Scott County, of Grand Mound, whose talent is baton show-twirl. But before it all began, including the first round of interviews, the women spent the past week preparing and seeing the area. "They got here Sunday and had a reception at Miller Time Bowling in Davenport," said Bill Lee, president of the Miss Iowa Scholarship Board. "They've also been getting their wardrobes together and rehearsing." Additionally, he said, they went to elementary schools with books they read and then left for the children.

For the families, it is a week of excitement as well, but not necessarily one of anxiety. Terri Kokemuller, the mother of Miss Clinton County Amanda Kokemuller, 19, Clinton, said it is her daughter's shoulders on which the pressure has fallen. "I'm nervous for her," Terri Kokemuller said. "But really, I'm just Mom and her for moral support." She said Amanda has done her job preparing. Last year's first runner-up, Michelle Swieter, 23, Miss Johnson County, is back for her last attempt at the title. Her father, Dennis, said that after four years, he's able to deal with it all. "It's the last year so that makes it the toughest," Dennis Swieter said. "But the growing experience for her has been incredible. A lot of doors have opened. There are a lot of opportunities for her." Miss Iowa will receive a total $7,400 in scholarships as well as $2,600 in wardrobe awards. Miss Iowa competitors split a total of $25,800 in scholarships, and there also is a total of $610,108 in in-kind scholarships available to Miss Iowa contestants. "This is really a big deal," Lee said. "The opportunities for the women are tremendous." Lee's daughter, Becky, was Miss Blackhawk Valley in 1986 in Illinois, he said. The opportunities opened to her, included singing the national anthem at a Chicago Cubs game, as well as performing at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the White House in 1993 and 1994. Also on Saturday, the Li'l Miss Iowa, Junior Miss Iowa and Miss Iowa's Outstanding Teen will be announced.

Miss Iowa Outstanding Teen will compete in the first-ever Miss America Outstanding Teen pageant in Kissimmee, Fla., in August. Miss Iowa Outstanding Teen will be joined by Rock Island High School junior Kathryn Strause, 17, who recently was named Miss Illinois Outstanding Teen. Thomas Geyer can be contacted at (563) 383-2328 or tgeyer@qctimes.com.

By Anne Dorpinghaus/CLINTON BUREAU/QC Times | Thursday, Jul 18, 2002

DeWITT, Iowa  Finger twirls, rolls, thumb tosses and zip zips, they sound like new snack items at the supermarket. But to those involved in the sport of baton twirling, they describe various tricks and moves used in their routines.

Five area girls will travel to Notre Dame University in South Bend, Ind., next week for the Miss Majorette of America national twirling competition. The five qualified for the event after winning Miss Iowa Majorette titles for their age groups in May. All are students at Twirl and Talent Performance Academy in DeWitt, operated by Melissa Lankston of Marion.

Those competing at the national pageant next week include Cassie Claeys of DeWitt (beginner, ages 7-9), Karen Whitman of Grand Mound (beginner, ages 10-12), Elizabeth Miller of Bettendorf (intermediate, ages 10-12), Candace Ilg of DeWitt (beginner, ages 13-15) and Sarah Hythecker of Grand Mound (intermediate, ages 13-15).

Whitman has been practicing two to three hours per day this summer, preparing for the national competition. "My favorite part is doing my show twirl," Whitman said. "It's where you get to pick your own music and you can do fire baton, flags, two to three batons at once and use different props. I use a bugle in mine." Whitman performs her show twirl routine to the song, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." She will wear a navy blue costume of shorts and a sleeveless top embellished with rhinestones and gold sequin trim. Pageant contestants compete in three mandatory events solo, strut and modeling.

For the modeling event, Whitman said her teacher gives them advice on how to walk and how to speak to a judge for the required interview. "She talks to us about smiling, standing up straight, making sure we have our C's," Whitman said. The C's, she explained, refer to how contestants are supposed to hold their hands while they walk. In the strut, contestants perform dancing, leaping and marching movements while holding a baton. Whitman said her coach doesn't like it when people say baton twirling is not a sport.

To compete, twirlers must be physically fit and athletic, agreed Karen's mother, Linda Whitman. Linda said she decided to enroll her daughter in baton lessons at age 8 when she told her parents she wanted to participate in wrestling and football like her two older brothers. Now the 11-year-old juggles baton between her other activities, which include softball, 4-H and Girl Scouts. During the school year, Whitman attends dance and baton classes three days per week and practices on her own for 90 minutes every other day. The twirlers have increased their home practice time to three hours per day to prepare for nationals. During the cooler months, she practices indoors at a local fitness center with ceilings tall enough to do her high tosses. Now that it's warm, she practices outdoors at her family's farm.

"When there isn't corn in it, we have a barn with a cement floor that she uses, too," Linda said. Whitman said she wants to attend Iowa State University and study to become a veterinarian. Her goal is to be the featured twirler for half-time shows at football games and for parades. Whitman has met the current ISU twirler at competitions and University of Iowa "Golden Girl" Julie Canterbury at a studio visit. After Tuesday's competition, the national Miss Majorette winners will be announced Thursday evening.