You are correct! That is EXACTLY what happened! And after that,major changes were made to the entire team program.

Mainly, Margaret Mann implimented a lengthy "Affiliation Contract" that judges had to sign before judging team finals! It is very detailed and intricate, and it still being used. You can have absolutely NO AFFILIATION with any of the teams in finals if you are scheduled to judge. If you do, she will pull you. And I've seen her do it.

I don't think people ever knew the seriousness of what took place that year. It was definately a milestone.

And just an aside in the Wheaton/Dynamics winning everything all the time, it should be noted that the first Dance Twirl Team World representative to the first NBTA Worlds in Holland in 1991 was a team called Dance Magic, a basically one shot deal taught by Jerry Alvarez, with Tracy Ando doing her triple (which was not done often back then, like it is now). They won the first Worlds! And it wasn't Wheaton or Dynamics.

Anything can happen.

Annetta Lucero was also on that team and did a 7 spin Those were the days!

I was talking to Jerry about that team the other day...he said Bev Johnson had a great team too that year and it went down to the wire.

TSJ

Actually, Annetta was not on that team... at least, not at Worlds. That much I can tell you. And Bev has had teams, but I don't recall any that particular year. I should know, I was her student at the time, and on her teams later on.

Oh yes, I remember that year. I do not believe however that the Dynamics performing at Worlds was a "slap in the face" to Wheaton, nor was it a matter of "not being happy with the result". The bottom line is that Dynamics did in fact get royally screwed. It's one thing to get screwed...individuals and teams do all the time...but it's entirely different to get screwed because someone doesn't play fair. And that is what happened then. Sure, someone can be unhappy with a result, but it is what it is for the most part - twirling is very subjective - but a result like that one when cheating was essentially the reason for the result is totally different.

1. The judge in that situation should have recused herself from the start. Her license should have been yanked that day. You cannot work with a team and then judge them. Period.

2. Shame on the Wheaton coaching staff for allowing the situation to have happened in the first place. And honestly, shame on the parents who may have known.

3. The Dynamics had every right to fight it.

4. None of the contestants on either team were at fault, however, I think that Wheaton should have been disqualified. It would have been unfortunate for the girls, but there should be consequences for unsportsman-like behavior.

5. The Dynamics should have been allowed to compete at Worlds.

Competitors work entirely too hard for something like this to have happened. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears goes into that one moment on the floor, and when that moment is taken away through unfair means, someone needs to suffer some consequences. It is happening more and more. There may be an affiliation agreement now, but does that hold true for individuals as well. There are lots of girls who have lessons or relationships with judges and then compete for them. Not fair! I don't know what the answer is, but something has to be done.

Like I mentioned before, NBTA needs an overhaul.

Since we're on this roll: I really do not mind reading the 400 pages of Protocol and considering it CAUTIOUSLY and CAREFULLY (had it since 2007, I think). I was an English major and actually do get a rather perverse kick out of figuring the gems of material that perhaps JJ--Yes, SP did something quite similar to one of the examples (palm spin thingy); so I am guessing some of it was probably JJ--and others could have put in there and trying to determine who may constructed the awesome examples.

I attempted to teach high school English. The generation after me are multimedia learners, many of whom wouldn't have the patience to consider 400 pages of material, if you get my drift:):) It was also disheartening to clerk with a new judge and former world champion who seemed a little threatened I was clerking for her. I like ALL people in baton and appreciate their ideas too much for some of this to happen.

I had a coach who helped find what I could do as a young competitor with awkward body movement to have the ability to compete with some awesome twirlers (BS). I was going up against the likes of HS (13-15 MMoA) every weekend. Never placed ahead of HS, but she was a confident twirler and always a good friend and never rude (very meaningful). I used to hate that I seemed to come from the middle of twirling nowhere. Once I almost sent AYOP a team entry that said we were the Nobodies from Nowhere, IL, with No Members. Now I appreciate where I am from. Kids took from the likes of BG, AMD, and SVP to the north and from AMD and SM to the south. Then, we'd go to the Stepperette's clinic and learn even more coolness:):) Thanks to everyone! I paid attention and was always learning something. And for all the while it is worth all the while.

Just a small clarification. Both Wheaton and Dynamics' coaches choreograph routines, but they both also use "Professional Choreographers" at times. I know this thread is talking mainly about Dance Twirl Teams, but in 1992, Jazz Dolls qualified for Twirl Team and won the Worlds Championships in 1993.

This year's team finals were extremely entertaining in my opinion. I guess I'm slightly biased since I got to be a part of them as a member of Crescendo, but it was definitely filled with excitement!

One thing that nobody has acknowledged was the male presence in the Team Finals this year! 4 of the 5 Senior Small Dance Twirl Teams had a male twirler on the team. It is rare to get 4 male twirlers to show up to Nationals every year let alone 4 who are able to twirl on teams that performed so well on the national stage!

I do want to note that the two twirlers who left Dynamics to join our team (Crescendo) left before this twirling season even began, and neither twirled on the team at nationals in 2010. Yes, it is extremely difficult to put a group of solo twirlers together in hopes of beating Dynamics and Wheaton, but all of us had a wealth of team experience prior to joining Crescendo. And to top it all off, we had quite a few setbacks in our short time together too, including Chelsea Russell breaking her foot at our first competition, North Atlantic Regionals, just a month before hitting the floor at AYOP. For all our team went through, I am proud of the way we performed and for how well we placed in our first year together! I think if you get the right set of twirlers, anything can become possible, and I don't think Wheaton or the Dynamics are impossible to beat. Some may be disheartened by their reign in team events, but for others, like Crescendo, it pushes us to want to become better and to one day become a serious threat.

Great AYOP everyone!

There are people that used to remind me and twirlers everywhere that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Best of luck to EVERYONE!

Jeff you are very correct about Brit and Brit, so glad you threw that out there. Also must agree with you...I was so glad to see so many different teams in finals this year, along with the men! Makes things that much more interesting and competitive. Can't wait to see what Crescendo comes up with next year.

I really look forward to watching Crescendo develop as a team! Kelly has always been one of the most creative coaches I've known, and I can't wait to see how far she can take this team!

I know this is an old post but I was curious about the claim that a team used elements from Holland's pom team. I am just now getting a studio started and I am interested in offering pom. I have been watching a lot of pom routines on youtube and I did come across Holland's pom routine from the last worlds. I also watched the pom and team finals at AYOP. Here are links to the two routines and I have to say that the things that stood out to me the most as being copied was that the American team spelled "Fly", made an Eiffel Tower, and an American flag just like the Holland team did. I do think the American team were much better dancers but I also think that it was a little bit strange that the group was trying to qualify for worlds but they certainly could not have performed their routine as it was if they made it to Switzerland. The Dutch would have had a fit!

www.youtube.com . . .
www.youtube.com . . .

I am the owner of the Utopia team video that twirlingstar decided to post a link to. This is an unlisted video that she must of gone to great lengths to find, because she does not have any association to our team and it was not posted publicly. I am the parent of a girl on the Utopia Team and we don't go on public sites to call out other teams. I think this was low class and I have removed the video from Youtube. We are a classy group of girls and this was a less than sportman like move on the part of this person. You must feel threatened by our team to of gone to such lengths to find our unlisted video and post it. I would suggest you worry about your own team and not feel the need to stalk our team. Utopia Mom and Proud of It!!!

The million dollar question: Is further discussion on the topic furthering anyone's individual or team career? If the answer is no, maybe we should discuss something else.

I've always been told to focus on my own twirling, on what I can do, on making up my own routines and not on other people. I am none too swift at times, so I made a mistake by falling to the temptation to post on this Holland/Utopia debacle under Crazy_Twirler, the username I am no longer posting under.

What makes a pom team excellent would be a far better, less dramatic, discussion. So, what makes a pom team really stand out from average? Is it pom pictures? Is it dance ability? Is it tight-armed rigidness? What do you like to see? What would you like your team to be able to do? Properly executed fouette turns in unison into a reverse illusion would be cool. I'm really in for a lot of work now! How do you take the team from beginner to advanced?

I've found that poms help beginner baton kids develop an understanding of uniformity and unison and teamwork without the demand of baton. My ex's grandma saw a young twirling group of mine and a young pom group, and she actually asked if I enjoyed teaching poms more. No way, I'm definitely more of a twirler, but a pom group definitely works better than a baton group if you have more unmotivated kids than motivated (I was an after-school program volunteer and ALL girls were required to be in my class).