Hello Texas Twirl Fans!
Today we have a very special interview for you. As most that attend AYOP are aware, there is a unique opportunity every September offered to only a small handful of some of the nation’s most entertaining twirlers. Each of these twirlers are hand selected based on their performance abilities and advanced twirling skills and are then invited to be a part of that year's class of Baton Twirling Ambassadors. Once selected, they have the chance to travel for up to two weeks to Trujillo, Peru, to participate in a once in a lifetime opportunity full of appearances and performances.
For the Fall 2026 class that traveled to Peru to participate in the 74th International Festival of the Spring (la Primavera), one of our very own Texas Twirlers was selected – Analeia Aleman!
Analeia is a name that is well known in Texas twirling! Senior Analeia Aleman is the Feature Twirler at Gunter High School and is coached by Catherine Lattirmoe and Christina Aleman. In addition to being the 2026 Miss Majorette of Texas and multi time member of Team USA, she is also a 2x UIL Texas State Outstanding Performer, 2021 World Two Baton Bronze Medalist, and 2025 IBTF Nation’s Cup Junior A Three Baton Gold Medalist!
We wanted to take a moment and ask Analeia about her experiences and allow her to share some of the moments that meant the most to her as she traveled in Peru.
This trip to Peru is filled with so many amazing experiences! Will you share with us some of the things you were able to do? “In Peru, I was able to twirl at nursing homes and for sick, forgotten, or abused children. I took part in Governor speeches, watched the crowning of the Festival Queen, visited local areas of interest, and was able to watch and learn about their dancing, culture, and traditions to celebrate spring.”
What a jam-packed week! Out of all of those experiences, which one was the best? “My favorite event I participated in was the parade on the last day. It was so much fun. There were so many people lining the streets and cheering us on. I was able to see so many different people and a wide variety of cultural performances. There were even a few times young kids would run out to us during the parade so they could give us a hug.”
During the week you got to spend time with nine other amazing twirlers. What part of that experience meant the most to you? “There are so many memories I will take from this opportunity. I met so many wonderful girls and now have more twirling friends from around the country. We spent so much time together; we were able to get to know one another on a level beyond a baton competition. I will also have memories of all the people I met while in Peru. I visited many places where the children were not living in great conditions. Being able to twirl for them and see them smile, is something I will never forget.”
During the week you got to spend time with nine other amazing twirlers. What part of that experience meant the most to you? “There are so many memories I will take from this opportunity. I met so many wonderful girls and now have more twirling friends from around the country. We spent so much time together; we were able to get to know one another on a level beyond a baton competition. I will also have memories of all the people I met while in Peru. I visited many places where the children were not living in great conditions. Being able to twirl for them and see them smile, is something I will never forget.”
Going to another country always has its unknowns. What part of the experience was not what you expected? “I knew I was going to a place where the people were not as fortunate as we are in the United States, but to see the reality of how some of the kids live and how little they have was more than I expected to witness.”
Being away in another country can definitely make you miss home. What did you miss the most while you were gone? “I missed so many things about home, including my family, but missing a home football game and hanging with my friends afterwards had to be the most difficult.”
While many of the appearances were about entertainment and celebrating Peru, there had to be some funny moments along the way. What was your funniest experience? “While in Peru, we did quite a bit of walking. Many times, in the evening, this walking took place in nice dresses and heels. One time, Addie, Alyssa, and I were walking and almost tripped and fell in some potholes. We were supposed to be graceful because people were always watching us and taking pictures. Hopefully, no one took pictures that night!”
Many twirlers say this is a once in a lifetime experience that they will never forget. Hopefully we get to see more of our Texas twirlers participate in the future. What advice would you give another twirler preparing for the same trip? “I would tell anyone preparing for this trip to bring enough outfits! We could only bring one suitcase, so I tried to be efficient with my packing, but I could have used a few more. With so many formal events, you need to be prepared. Another tip is to be prepared not to get much sleep. From the moment we arrived in Peru, we were on the go. Each day we were up early and out until late hours. When we did get back to the hotel late each night, there was homework to do and preparation for the next day. I did not get much sleep the entire time I was gone.”
While many of the appearances were about entertainment and celebrating Peru, there had to be some funny moments along the way. What was your funniest experience? “While in Peru, we did quite a bit of walking. Many times, in the evening, this walking took place in nice dresses and heels. One time, Addie, Alyssa, and I were walking and almost tripped and fell in some potholes. We were supposed to be graceful because people were always watching us and taking pictures. Hopefully, no one took pictures that night!”
Many twirlers say this is a once in a lifetime experience that they will never forget. Hopefully we get to see more of our Texas twirlers participate in the future. What advice would you give another twirler preparing for the same trip? “I would tell anyone preparing for this trip to bring enough outfits! We could only bring one suitcase, so I tried to be efficient with my packing, but I could have used a few more. With so many formal events, you need to be prepared. Another tip is to be prepared not to get much sleep. From the moment we arrived in Peru, we were on the go. Each day we were up early and out until late hours. When we did get back to the hotel late each night, there was homework to do and preparation for the next day. I did not get much sleep the entire time I was gone.”
Finally, a trip like this would not be possible without wonderful people making it all happen. Can you tell us about those that made this trip possible? “I want to thank Kathy Harris for attending with us as our Chaperone. She made sure we were well taken care of. I also want to thank the guards who were with us the entire time to make sure we were safe and we had everything we needed. And I want to thank the Lions Club for affording us this opportunity and providing us a life changing experience.”
A huge congrats goes out to Analeia from #teamtexas on being selected for this opportunity, and we want to thank her for representing us so beautifully. We appreciate her taking time to share her Peru journey with us and we cannot wait to see what the rest of her senior year brings!
We hope everyone enjoyed the interview and we look forward to seeing who is selected for the 2027 class of Ambassadors attending the 75th International Festival of the Spring next fall!
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!
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