Palmetto High School varsity football games are full of different styles of entertainment. The styles range from the dancing Dazzlers and the cheery cheerleaders to the Palmetto High School Marching Band and the color guard-flag team.
The Marching Band has new stand tunes this year. Stand tunes are the songs played by the band in the stands during the game. This year they are from famous artists like the Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga. The band also has a new show this year based on countries around the world. They perform “Kung Fu Fighting,” “New York New York” and “Brazil” as if they were in China, New York, and Rio.
The color guard has more than doubled in size. They gained four new members including the girl that has caught the attention of fans and bands in Manatee County, baton twirler Samantha Grutzner.
Nathaniel Miller, sophomore from PHS says, “The baton twirler is a strong addition to the half time show. She adds an extra flare. The color guard is fun to watch, but they are all doing the same thing. The baton twirler is by herself performing amazing tricks.”
Samantha is a senior at Palmetto High. She was at Manatee School for the Arts, but she switched schools because she wanted opportunities that she did not have at MSA.
“It was tough moving schools in my senior year,” says Samantha. “I wanted to get involved in PHS activities that I did not have before.”
She has been going to Bradenton Twirling Academy for 10 years. The academy participates in local, state and national events. Many competition twirlers and some competition teams travel out of state to compete in Drum Majorettes of America National Finals. The twirlers win trophies and medals in these competitions.
Samantha says, “I started baton when I was seven. I started because I went to my neighbor’s baton rehearsal and thought it was the coolest thing ever.”
Samantha has participated in many competitions including individual and team competitions. She has won many competitions including the National Strut Competition which she won for seven years in a row. Strut is one of the three individual routines in baton twirling. Samantha is also Majorette Princess of America for 2011. The thing that has pushed her to succeed is the feeling of accomplishment.
Samantha says, “I enjoy the challenge and pride in accomplishing things. It feels good to catch the simplest thing. I’m like ‘Look what I caught.’ My biggest achievement was getting over the fear of hitting myself in the face.”
Samantha changed many things for PHS this year. She worked with flaming batons which created a fun atmosphere for the football games. Also in the MPA’s, Music Performance Assessment, she helped the Color Guard come home with an “excellent” compared to the “good” they were given last year.
This baton twirler has changed the way fans watch and enjoy the varsity football games. She enjoys what she does and appreciates your support.
