For every person who trains to be on top of their game, whether it be a dancer, soccer player, golfer, or love baton twirling, there comes a point when there is a break in training. One example of this is vacation. While the thought of not being able to train for seven or 10 straight days may give you cold sweats, Starline Baton has some suggestions on how you can practice your skills so that they remain sharp, even on a relaxing vacation!

• Check Around the Area: Let’s say that you are staying with Grandma and Grandpa for a whole month out of state. This presents a wonderful opportunity to take classes at another studio or training facility. Look around and see what different places are available, and inquire about how much just a class is. A new set of eyes can help determine why you are having a specific problem you may be experiencing. Also, there are a ton of different styles to whatever it is you are involved with, so you are bound to learn something new.
• Use Technology: With just about everyone on the planet able to connect digitally, take advantage of that opportunity. FaceTime with your coach so that the two of you can discuss ways of staying in shape, or you can talk about perfecting a certain element of your training. In some cases, you can find coaches and trainers that conduct virtual meetings for training that you can take advantage of. Be sure to check that it is OK with your current coach, though.
• Just Step Outside: If you are feeling cooped up, just take a step outside and practice! Just because practicing is not done where you are used to doing it, whether it be in a gym, on a field, or on a stage, doesn’t mean that practice doesn’t count. So, grab your baton, and go through what your coach has you do in a typical practice. Also, it is important to continue to stretch as it doesn’t take long for performers to lose that stretch.

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Posted: 8/30/2016

If you are a baton twirler, and you compete or take part in performances, adding pirouettes to your routine is a crowd pleaser. There is just something about watching someone execute multiple turns in a row flawlessly, and one of the biggest reasons why people enjoy seeing this so much is because it is hard! Here are things to keep in mind when you want to add pirouettes to your performance.

1. Strengthen Your Core: One of the most important aspects of executing a beautiful series of pirouettes is a strong core. A strong core provides the balance and strength needed to get your body to turn over and over again in a beautiful fashion. A strong core also allows your alignment to stay the correct way. So, do those stomach crunches!
2. Balance: If you do not know how to correctly balance your body, then you will never be able to accomplish pirouettes. Practice balancing the position you want to turn, such as a la seconde.
3. Learn How to Spot: If your eyes are on the ground, your body will follow. Always have a fixed place to look at in front of you, and that spot is the only place your eyes will focus on. Remember to whip your head around to quickly get your eyes back on that fixed spot.
4. Push the Right Way: A big part of not being able to turn is pushing off the ground too hard. By pushing too hard, it can throw the body off.
5. Ankle Strength: Just as your core must be strong to achieve a beautiful pirouette, your ankles must be strong, as well. Strong ankles help support the relevé. Sickled and weak ankles will always negatively affect turns, so incorporate ankle-strengthening exercises into your training.
6. Visualize: You know what the body has to do to turn beautifully, so visualize every part of your body doing what it needs to do.

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Posted: 8/15/2016

If you are experiencing tight hamstrings and tight shoulders, or if you are experiencing any other muscles in your body feeling stiff, so stiff that it is restricting your movement, maybe it is time to consider working flexibility exercises into your daily routine. . If you commit to working towards greater flexibility then the reward can feeling amazing. Here are some tips from the baton twirling experts at Starline Baton on how you can become more flexible.

• Take Care of Your Inner Self: Being flexible begins from the inside out. Be sure your are making nutritionally-sound eating decisions and are adequately hydrated from water. Also, it is important to get enough sleep every night. A well-taken care of body is the first step in achieving flexibility.
• Remember Both Positive & Negative Motions: Think of this as the ebb to the flow. If you stretch left, stretch right, too. If you are bending forward, bend backward, as well. Also, you want to feel a little strain. That strain means that your stretches are working.
• Remember to Stay Positive, be Patient, Stick to It: It is important to remember that it takes time for your body to achieve a higher level of flexibility. Only time will help you get there, so just keep doing it every day, and tell yourself that every day is one step closer to being more flexible.

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Posted: 8/5/2016