MUNCY, Pa. — Alana Jones has been teaching the art of twirling in the Lycoming County area for nearly 30 years. She is the owner of Phillips Fancy Footwork. She works with her students at her studio in Muncy.
"It is best to start when they are little. So, they are learning the skills from a young age and progressing. We hope one day they can compete at the advanced level," said Jones.
Jones twirled all over the world in different events. She shares that knowledge with her students, and many of those students have gone on to twirl in college. She says practice is key.
"There is lots of stuff you don't see — lots of practice and hard work, sweat. These girls not only take twirling lessons, but they also take dance and gymnastic classes," added Jones.
For anybody who thinks twirling is easy, it's not.
"It takes a lot of hard work and a lot of practice to get as good as a lot of twirlers are," said Bentley McNett of Watsontown.
"I like twirling because it is fun, and it is like sports, and I like sports too," said Hayden Bender of Hughesville.
The girls credit their coach for their success.
"I love my coach," said Anabelle Bender of Hughesville. "She is so nice. Sometimes she can be strict, but she is really fun. She likes to correct us a lot which gets kind of annoying, but then she is helping us get better."
Twelve girls, who form a group known as the Marshaletts, recently competed at Nationals in South Bend, Indiana. They were all coached by Jones. 9-year-old Anabelle Bender placed first in two categories.
"So, I am a national champion in my strut for beginner and 9-year-olds, and I am a national champion in show twirl," added Anabelle.
The girls and their coach tell Newswatch 16 that they have already begun practicing for next year.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel.