Anyone that has watched Platteview’s Marching Band show between the fall of 2021 to now is aware the Trojan’s phenomenal baton twirler. That twirler is Presley Smith (11). Following in her aunt and mother’s footsteps, she began twirling when she was only three-years-old.
Her dedication to her art is proven each and every week, seeing as she practices around 16 hours weekly. That’s more than two hours a day. At early morning Marching Band practices she choreographs her own routines for the Greatest Showman-themed show. Presley also rehearses and polishes new tricks.
Not only does she practice for marching shows, though. Presley trains at Sue’s Stepper-etes Baton and Dance studio and competes in baton competitions. She earned the opportunity to travel to the Netherlands to represent team USA at a world competition. She explained that “performing alongside girls I’ve looked up to and who have coached me for the past 12 years is something I will never forget.”
However, after Presley graduates in 2025, PHS’ Marching Band will be without a twirler…or will they? At Sue’s studio, a handful of future Trojans attend lessons for baton twirling. Around the time she leaves PHS and begins her college journey, those young Trojans will arrive and hopefully twirl in the marching band. It seems that the twirling legacy will continue to prosper.
