Student Experience

This twirl is on fire

If you were in the stands at Scott Stadium last month as the University of Virginia defeated Florida State University, you may have seen a group of four UVA students and one from Piedmont Virginia Community College playing with fire.

The Cavalier Marching Band’s twirling squad, known as the Feature Twirlers, catch fire at home football games. They spin, dance and even juggle batons that are set ablaze during their routines. During game weeks, they spend 15 hours rehearsing.

UVA Today spoke with the members of the squad ahead of Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. game against Washington State University.

Gia Singh

Gia Singh holds three blazing batons as she poses in a split for a photo. Singh started twirling at 3 years old.

Hometown: Richmond

Major: Biology

How I started twirling: I got my start when I was about 3 years old. I like to say I was born into it. My grandmother did baton twirling, and she’s the director of my competitive group, and she got my mom into it, and my mom got my older sister into it, and then me. I started fire twirling as a freshman in high school.

Favorite performance moment: During the FSU game, at the very end of the halftime show, the band faced the hill. The stadium lights turned orange and blue, and it just highlighted the fire baton in such a cool way. Plus, we won that game.

Madison Salber

Madison Salber twirls three batons with a smile on her face. Salber, an Omaha, Nebraska native, started twirling after pestering her mother to sign her up for classes.

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Major: Nursing

How I started twirling: My sister took a baton class one summer, and I remember going to her classes and watching these girls toss the baton really high and catch these hard tricks. I thought it was just so cool. My sister wasn’t really into baton, but I was, so I made my mom sign me up for classes and I’ve been doing it ever since.

Favorite performance moment: We always do fire baton at the end of our halftime show, and that’s when the crowd really gets into it, which I love. Getting to fire twirl is such a highlight for a college twirler’s career.

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Ishita Bakshi

Ishita Bakshi twirls a set of three batons. She says the tricks for fire twirling and regular twirling aren’t that different – you just have to make sure to catch the baton by the middle.

Hometown: Richmond

Major: Human biology

How I started twirling: I twirled for my high school’s marching band in Richmond, and I always really wanted to try fire. I bought a couple of fire batons to practice with at home in my driveway, but I wasn’t allowed to fire twirl for my high school. When I got to UVA was the first time I ever performed with fire, and I was definitely nervous.

Favorite performance moment: During one of the halftime shows last season, when we were playing Maryland, we ended the routine with a jump split. My jump in practice was a little small. But during the game, hearing the crowd and seeing everyone, I jumped high. It was the point in the routine where you can soak it all in.

Lauren Sykes

Lauren Sykes poses with a fire baton. Her favorite trick is juggling fire batons.

Hometown: Nashville

Major: Undeclared, applying to the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

How I started twirling: I did a lot of summer camps. I would get called over to the parking lot, and they would say, “Lauren, do you want to try fire?” It definitely made me nervous that the parking lot was in front of this old wooden church. They just let me do my thing and see, because with fire baton, it’s about whatever you’re most comfortable with.

Favorite performance moment: During a game this season, we did group three baton facing the student section. Group three is when we’re juggling the baton. It was just fun to see all the batons up in the air and feel this childlike amusement.

Ivoire Shelton

Ivoire Shelton holds three fire batons. Shelton learned her first tricks from her mother, also a twirler.

Hometown: Louisa

Major: Nursing at Piedmont Virginia Community College

How I started twirling: My mom was a twirler, and she asked me if I wanted to do it. Long story short, she would have me downstairs practicing different tricks, and she put me with the competitive team I’m with today. My aunt got her master’s at UVA, so I attended two band days when I was in high school, and I loved them both. I fire-twirled for the first time at homecoming when I was in 11th grade.

Favorite performance moment: I think it was the most recent game, when they turned the stadium lights off and we got our fire batons and the lights turned blue.