Monday, January 22, 2018

2018 Texas Collegiate Twirler Audition Guide

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Welcome to the second year we are offering this very special feature for the Twirling is Catching Blog! We know senior year is a very exciting time for many twirlers, but it is also a little nerve wracking as twirlers try to decide which University to select. While this is already a hard decision, when you have a dream of twirling on the collegiate level, it adds an addition level of pressure for picking the right place. There are also many current college students that may be deciding between auditioning at their school or other schools. So many choices! Our goal with this feature is to present as much audition information for Texas universities in one place as possible to at least make the process of knowing how to audition easier for our Collegiate twirler hopefuls.

If you have any information to update any of these listings, or have information for a University not listed, please email texastwirlcontact@gmail.com. We will be posting 2-3 follow-up posts to this one as new information and updates become available.

We also hope to be able to announce many of the Twirler selections for these Universities as the decisions are made, so make sure to stay tuned! You can always follow us here, but to make sure you are notified every time there is a new post, we also have a Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/twirlingiscatchingtx and can be found on Instagram @twirlingiscatchingtx.


2018 Texas Collegiate Twirler Audition Quick Guide: 

Electronic Audition Submission Deadlines
*February 16th - University of TX, Permian Basin
*February 17th - Texas Tech University FEATURE
*Early March - Texas Christian University
*March 15th - University of Houston
*March 31st - Texas Tech University LINE

Set Live Audition Dates
*March 4th - University of TX, Permian Basin
*March 24 & April 7 - Lamar University
*March 28th - Stephen F Austin State University 
      - Twirl-O-Jacks & Feature Twirler
*April 13th & 14th - Texas Tech University 
     - Feature (Call Back) & Line Auditions

No Audition Info Available At This Time:
*University of Texas – San Antonio
*Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
*Baylor University
*Sam Houston State University
*Angelo State University
*Texas State University
*Tyler Junior College
*Kilgore College

Not Holding 2018 Auditions:
*University of Texas, Austin
*Southern Methodist University
*University of the Incarnate Word

Already completed 2018 Auditions:
*N/A


2018 Texas Collegiate Twirler Audition Details:

ODESSA: University of Texas Permian Basin
*Call Back Live Audition for Twirlers - March 4
*Email via Drop Box to harris_c@utpb.edu
*Materials must be submitted by February 16

LUBBOCK: Texas Tech University
*Live Audition for Feature & Line - April 13 & 14
*Email all materials to btolley@sbcglobal.net
     - Just FYI. Will have 2018 info soon!
*Feature Twirler Audition Information:
     - Online submissions due by February 17
     - Submit materials to btolley@sbcglobal.net
*Twirling Line Audition Information:
     - Electronic submissions due by March 31
     - Submit materials to btolley@sbcglobal.net
          1. Resume & HS/College Transcripts
          2. Letters of Recommendation
          3. Why you want to twirl at Tech
          4. A Picture

HOUSTON: University of Houston
*Electronic Materials are due by March 15
*Submit materials to coach@uhtwirlers.com

NACOGDOCHES: Stephen F Austin
*Live Auditions will be held March 24
     - Same requirements at 2016 info
          1. Completed Form & Resume
          2. Optional letters of recommendation
          3. 2 Photos including headshot
          3. 2-6 minute video of live twirling
*Contact Candice Curbow with questions
*More detailed info available soon


FORT WORTH: Texas Christian University
*No live audition will be held
*Interested students must:
      - Already be accepted to TCU
      - Send complete twirling resume
      - Send CD highlighting twirling ability
*Send materials to b.youngblood@tcu.edu
*Email b.youngblood@tcu.edu for more info
*Decisions usually made by Mid March

BEAUMONT: Lamar University 
*Live Auditions will be on March 24 &
    April 7th from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
*A Required Clinic is held Jan 20th & 
    Feb 24th from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
*Contact dinabordelon@gmail.com to
         sign up or for more information


-----------------------------------------------------------
No Current Audition Information Available
However, some details from previous year
auditions may be available for reference.

WACO: Baylor University
*Audition videos for 2018 due on TBA
*Email all materials to lynndell@heilp.com

 HUNTSVILLE: Sam Houston State University
*Live Auditions will be held TBA
    - Submit materials to bxg012@shsu.edu or
     to kelleymccormick5@gmail.com by TBA
          1. Twirling/School Resume
          2. 2 letters of recommendation
          3. Photograph in twirling costume

SAN ANGELO: Angelo State University
*Live Auditions will be on TBA
*A Required Clinic will be on TBA

SAN MARCOS: Texas State University
*Live Auditions will be held TBA
*Audition Materials are due by TBA
     - Submit materials to krg60@txstate.edu
          1. Completed Application
          2. 2 letters of recommendation
          3. Full length photo included
          3. Video <10 minutes of live twirling

TYLER: Tyler Junior College 
*Live Auditions will be on TBA
*Must submit the Info Form & Band Director
   Recommendation prior to audition date
*A second audition will be held TBA

KILGORE: Kilgore College
*Live Auditions will be on TBA
*The twirler audition packet must be turned in
 to keittpaige@yahoo.com prior to auditions.

 CORPUS: Texas A&M – Corpus Christi
*No Current Audition Info Available

SAN ANTONIO: University of TX San Antonio
*No Current Audition Info Available

-----------------------------------------------------------
No Holding Auditions for 2018

AUSTIN: University of Texas – Austin
*No positions available for 2018
*Will not be holding auditions for Fall
*2018 Feature Twirler: Erica Kuntz

DALLAS: Southern Methodist University
*No positions available for 2018
*Will not be holding auditions until Spring 2019
*2018 Feature Twirler: Alex Bridges

SAN ANTONIO: Univ. of the Incarnate Word
*No positions available for 2018
*Will not be holding auditions for Fall
*2018 Feature Twirler: Ashley Sneed

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Contest Calendar Series - Dallas Twirling Festival Update

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

Hope your first week of 2018 has been going well. We are currently only 3 days away from the first competition of the New Year, and we have a letter from one of the contest directors to share with everyone!


"We look forward to seeing everyone this Saturday at Desoto High School.


Just a couple of details and reminders.

The contest address is:
620 S. Westmoreland
DeSoto, TX 75115

Be sure to put the S in your GPS. Also, we will be at the freshman campus which is behind the football stadium.

The DeSoto High School Band will host a great concession stand with wonderful treats and eats so come prepared with cash. We do ask that you keep all food and drink (aside from water) outside the gym. There will be tables set up just outside the gym for dining.

We excited to see everyone and look forward to a great competition!

Thank you,
Miss Shirley and Sheila
Texas Touch of Class"

We also wanted to share the general schedule for the day. Please note that this is not a final schedule and that schedules are subject to change. This is just to give everyone a feel for how the day will run:

  • All Modeling Events
  • Teams/Show Twirls/UIL Routines/Rhythmics/Duets (including the Parent/Twirler duet)
  • Basic Marching & X-Struts (Open and Pageant)
  • Solos (Open and Pageant)
  • Multiple Baton Events
To see more information about this event, or pictures from previous years, you can visit the Contest Calendar Series - Dallas Twirling Festival 2018 entry from late December. You can also contact the contest directors at texastouchofclass@gmail.com. See you all there!



Monday, January 1, 2018

3...2...1... Happy 2018! Year End Countdown

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!


Happy 2018! Today we get to celebrate many things... the start of the New Year, the ending of the old one, the possibilities that lie ahead, as well as the successes, and the failures, that we leave behind.

2017 was quite the year of ups and downs, not only for myself, but for most of the country. One thing that has seen some encouraging positive growth in 2017 was our Texas Twirling Community. We now know more about each other, what we are doing, and our contests are growing! Have you seen those 7-9 numbers recently? This new year will also see a growth in other divisions, giving the present and future of Texas twirling some amazing competitors!

For this blog, we have continued to live out our mission to help keep our sport and our community going strong by bringing us together. The kind words of support and the great post options we have been sent this year have brought so much new attention to our community, and we know 2018 will be even better!

To celebrate what this blog has achieved, we wanted to do a Goodbye 2017 post to take a look back at the past year of this blog's existence and recognize those that have helped contribute to our mission...

*Total Number of Blog Page Views Since January 1st - 61,687 (WOW!!!)
*Top Friday Night Lights Feature Post - Gilmer High School Twirler
*Top Collegiate Twirler Spotlight Post - Texas Christian University Feature Twirlers
*Highest Viewed #TeamTexas AYOP 2017 Post - The Texas Stingerettes
*Highest Number of Likes on Instagram - #TwirlerTuesday pic of the TCU & SMU Twirlers
*Highest Number of Likes on Facebook - K.K. Tunnell Wins AYOP Beg. Jr. Pageant!
*Highest Number of Shares on Facebook - "The One Spin" By Miss Texas 2016, Caroline Carothers
*Highest Viewed Miss Texas 2017: Meet the Twirlers - Miss Twin Rivers, Kimberly Ferguson
*Highest Viewed Contest Calendar Series - ATX Holiday Twirl Fest 2017

Top 10 Posts By Page View Numbers:
         #1: 7,339 page views - "The One Spin" By Miss Texas 2016, Caroline Carothers
         #2: 4,114 page views - Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - Texas Christian University
         #3: 3,973 page views - Friday Night Lights Feature - Gilmer High School
         #4: 3,799 page views - Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - Baylor University
         #5: 2,394 page views - 2017 Fall Twirler Announcement - Baylor University
         #7: 1,588 page views - #TeamTexas AYOP 2017 - Letter from the Governor
         #8: 1,381 page views - Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - Tarleton State University
         #9: 1,294 page views - Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - Texas State University
         #10: 1,282 page views - Friday Night Lights Feature - Ronald Reagan High School

For reference of how much the blog has grown over the past year, the #1 viewed post in 2016 had only 1,464 views. Wow! Congrats to all of those who made it into the end of year wrap up and Top 10 list, and a big THANK YOU to everyone who has read, liked, shared, or contributed to any of our posts this year.

While we do have our Contest Calendar Series, Contest Wrap-Up Series, Collegiate Twirler Try-Outs and Announcements, plus two brand new post series in progress, we are always looking for fun, new angles and information to share. Have an idea for an upcoming post or some exciting news to share with the community? Email texastwirlcontact@gmail.com.

Until the next post, we leave you with our wishes that you have a fantastic new year...