Collegiate Twirler Spotlight - University of Florida Gatorette

Hello Texas Twirl Fans!

It is amazing how fast this season is going. Band-Tober is halfway done, and we are only two weeks away from the entry deadline for the Fall Twirling Festival (visit the Fall Twirling Festival website for more details). We are super excited though to be learning more about this Collegiate Twirler…

This week’s Collegiate Twirler Spotlight is University of Florida Gatorette, Halle Burton!

The University of Florida, also known as UF, is located in Gainsville, Florida. UF is the home of the Gators, and also a well-known twirling line, the Gatorettes! Anyone who has ever been to AYOP or a UF game is familiar with the Gatorette twirlers. Easy to recognize in their sparkly blue and orange, the Gatorette twirlers perform with precision to entertain at UF Game Days and events. 

One particular Gatorette is also a part of #TeamTexas! Former Texas Twirler, Halle Burton, made her childhood dreams come true when she earned a spot on the Gatorette line, and has since been twirling her way through the swamp as she represents her Gators!

We wanted to know why UF was the place for Halle, and she told us it went back to when she was just a kid. “I have wanted to attend the University of Florida since I was a little girl. They are a Top 5 university and I loved that I could accomplish my college twirling dreams while still focusing on academics.”

Having been a dream since she was little, the audition process was super important for Halle. “Our audition is a three-part process, and since I live out of state, I turned in a video for my initial audition. We have a list of tricks and dance skills we have to do, then there is a marching component, and a two-minute show twirl.”

Choosing to go out of state can be a difficult decision, but it wasn’t for Halle. “I used to live in Florida and grew up a Gators fan, so it heavily influenced my decision to go out of state. It definitely is hard being away from home, and I miss having my parents at every game, but I feel their strong support all the way from Texas. I also miss Bucees and all my Texas twirling friends!”  

While there are moments that she misses Texas, Halle says anyone thinking about going out of state should go for it. “To other potential out of state twirlers, you can do it!! It can be a challenge living far from home at first, but it is worth the challenge. If you are truly passionate about twirling at a university, distance is only a little obstacle you have to overcome. Twirling in Florida was one of the best decisions I’ve made!”

Now that Halle is in her second season twirling as a Gatorette, we wanted to know what the best part has been, and she says it is absolutely the community. “I love the atmosphere, especially on big game
days. Gator Nation has such a strong fan base and their loud presence in the stadium is insane, especially during pregame. It has been so amazing being able to share the field with so many talented and beautiful girls who share my passion for twirling! Go gators!”

Now that we have learned about what brought her to UF, let’s learn more about Halle!

Halle Burton
Halle is a Sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, that is Majoring in Public Relations on the Pre-Law track. In addition to being a Gatorette Twirler, she is also a photographer for PINK, the philanthropy chair in Alpha Chi Omega, a volunteer for Gator Days, and a part of the Class of ‘25 Florida's Future Leadership Program Cohort. She is an advanced competitor that has been twirling since she was 7, “so 12 years!”, and is coached by Debbie Salem and Shaylie Fawcett of the Fantasia Twirlers. For school twirling, she also works with the Gatorette Coach, Miss June Stoeber. The competition title Halle is the proudest of winning was the 2019 Intermediate Junior Pageant at AYOP. Her favorite field trick is any toss with a calyspso leap or a toss illusion ground roll. “They are both super fun and showy.” When she is on the competition floor, though, “I love any fast, low flip sections. A horizontal double is also hard to beat!” In baton twirling, she has been most inspired by many collegiate twirlers. “I am inspired by all my friends who are also living out their childhood twirling dreams. My teammates Olivia Fawcett and Makaela Anderson have been killing it as BYU’s twirlers!” After College, Halle want to be a civil litigation lawyer and hopefully travel more.

Fun Facts!

• Favorite Color – Pink
• Favorite Movie & TV Show – “Remember the Titans” and “Parks & Recreation”
• Favorite Book – “Where the Crawdads Sing”
• Favorite Food – Chicken tenders, “especially from Zaxby’s!”

Favorite Quote…
“Don’t wait for the perfect moment, take a moment and make it perfect.”

When she is not twirling, she loves to... 
“Create and edit videos.”

Something most people might not know about her is... 
“I make way too many tik toks (oops) and have over 100,000 followers on the social media platforms.”

The best non-twirling life skill she has gained from baton twirling is…
“I have learned that hard work and persistence is the key to accomplishing any goal. Nothing is impossible if you uphold the right mindset and keep pushing.”

Most Memorable Advice From her Coach…
“This is more of a story, but I vividly remember nationals in 2019, sitting down with my coach Shaylie and laughing as we said, ‘We’ve come a long way.’ Remembering where I started and where I’ve ended up makes the journey feel worthwhile and sentimental. Baton twirling shaped who I am, both on and off the floor, and I am thankful to be reminded of its meaningfulness in my life. The adventures and memories that baton has provided me is priceless.”

Advice to Future Twirlers… 
“I love practicing fun, fast-paced music. Practice should be something you enjoy doing and music helps make it better for me.”

Favorite Memory as a Baton Twirler…
“Performing in the Macy’s Parade and on the Today Show with my High School band.”

Funniest Memory as a Baton Twirler…
“I have shared a lot of laughs with my teammates after practice when we decide to try bizarre, unique field tricks. We all get a lot of humor out of the tricks that go either right or (really) wrong. The celebration dances we have after making a big catch for the first time is hard to beat.”

The advice she has for any twirlers going into college auditions is…
“Focus on being the best, most authentic version of yourself. I believe that you will end up exactly where you belong, you just need to trust the process.”

Favorite UF Game Day Tradition…
“I love our tradition of singing ‘Won’t Back Down’ after the third quarter of games to honor Tom Petty. The entire stadium is lit up by everyone’s phone flashlights.”

Favorite Tradition with the Band Program… 
“I love that we get gatorade after every halftime. I know that I will always get a refreshing drink after an energizing performance. Fun fact: UF invented Gatorade!”

What she is most excited about this coming year…
“I’m looking forward to twirling in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day with the UF band.”

We want to say thank you to Halle for sharing her Game Day with us on Saturday, and we know her and the other Gatorettes will have a wonderful season. Go Gators!

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.