Hello Texas Twirl Fans!
Today we have a very special interview for you! As we all know, baton twirling can take you many places, and sometimes that even means overseas. International travel can be due to competition, but it can also be for performance opportunities. In this Texas Twirlers Abroad post we will be talking to a San Antonio twirler that was given the opportunity to perform in Ireland!
Alessandra Marotta, coached by Melinda Mann White of the Texas Gems, is the Feature Twirler at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio. She is a sophomore at Providence Catholic School. In March, the CCHS band and JROTC traveled to Ireland. Alessandra twirled with the band under the direction of Mr. Danny Solis and Mr. Alex Sanchez to their 2017 TAPPS Texas State Championship show, “Fuego Azul” at the Titanic Museum in Belfast, and in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Limerick. She even had to twirl in the snow in Limerick! We asked Alessandra to share her experiences with us from this once in a lifetime trip!
Give us an overall view of what you did in Ireland: "We visited both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, in which we took a tour of Dublin, Belfast, Galway City, and Limerick. In these cities we saw castles, the Titanic, the Cliffs of Moher, Rock of Cashel, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Republican Falls Road, and the Loyalist Shankill Road."
Of everything you got to do, what was your favorite part of your trip? "My favorite part of the trip would have to be signing the peace wall with “Love from Texas”. Not only did I get to learn more about the history of Ireland, but I now have a deeper understanding of why the events that transpired happened. I was able to see what the community did to promote peace, despite their disagreements between the Catholics and the Protestants."
What an amazing learning experience. One I am sure you will carry with you. I hope all of it wasn't as heavy as that, though. What would you say is the funniest story from the trip? "The funniest story I have from my trip is getting to watch the boys from the band learn how to Irish dance. Although they were shy and at times awkward, they did their best and had fun with it."
I bet that was hilarious! Traveling to another country can always be a little bit of a shock. What part of the experience was not what you expected? "When we were packing for the trip, we were told that the weather would be chilly, but nothing too bad, even for us Texans. Upon arriving at the parade, we noticed that snow was beginning to fall, and would eventually turn into a light blizzard. We were freezing, but I enjoyed twirling in snow. It was something I never expected to happen!"
Twirling in snow had to be quite the experience for a Texan! Just not our normal weather. Besides twirling while freezing, of course, what moment will stick with you long after the return from Ireland? "I will never forget getting to perform at the Titanic in Belfast. The museum was beautiful, and I was able to hear the story behind the Titanic. I learned about how it was constructed, its design, and the aftermath of the ship sinking. It was an honor to twirl at such an iconic historical landmark."
How cool! Such a widely known story, but what a neat adventure to get get to learn more and be a part of the museum's history. While abroad, I am sure you missed many things at home. What “home comfort” did you miss the most in Ireland? "We spent a lot of time traveling on buses to get to the different places we visited, and I would have greatly appreciated a better internet connection that allowed me to send my friends and family all the pictures I had taken."
You don't often worry about the internet when preparing for a trip but I can see how that would be frustrating. I can also imagine the packing situation was equally stressful. What advice would you give another twirler preparing for a similar performance in another country? "I would advise another twirler to prepare for any kind of weather. Going to a foreign country, you do not know what to expect, so I would recommend bringing costumes and warm ups for extreme temperatures. It is always better to be safe than sorry! I would also say that if the opportunity arises, to meet any other twirlers that you see when you are there. You never know who you will get to meet, and the friendships you could create, even while being in another country!"
Great advice! In fact, pictured above is Alessandra living out her own suggestion as she poses with the Vestavia Hills High School twirlers from Alabama! A little bit of USA twirling coming together across the pond! A big thank you to Alessandra for sharing her experience with us. We are so excited that she was able to have such a great trip representing her high school and our sport!!!
We hope you have enjoyed this blog post. We are always looking for great new stories about Texas twirlers. Do you have an idea or some information we could use to help highlight our sport? Contact us at texastwirlcontact@gmail.com and we would love to hear more about it.
