HIGH LIFE : She’s Twirlin’ and Hurlin’ : Majorette Brynn Lawrence Likes the Spin in Her Life

As a sophomore, Brynn Lawrence was a member of her high school’s cheerleading squad.

As a junior, when the members of the new squad were named, Brynn was not among them. Seems that when the interview portions of the tryouts were held, Brynn was home, sick in bed.

A sad story? It might have been but for the reason the University High School junior was forced to miss her interview.

Brynn was indeed sick with a cold, but a cold she got after overworking herself the previous weekend at Canyon High School in Anaheim, where she was participating in the All-West Miss Majorette competition.

Although she didn’t win that, either, Brynn still is one of the top baton twirlers in the country.

At 16, she is the majorette for her school’s marching band as well as the Santa Ana Winds, a private band made up of 14- to 21-year-olds.

Brynn explains her success by saying that she simply is someone who twirls a baton and is experienced in dance.

She was Miss Majorette of California and the California State Twirl champion in 1985. She is currently Miss Majorette again for 1988, winner of the South Coast International Twirl Competition sweepstakes and sixth runner-up for the title of Miss Majorette of America.

“I try to always have a smile on my face,” the tall redhead said.

Peter Fournier, band director at University, described her as effervescent and enthusiastic. “She is an outgoing girl who is a good addition to our band,” he said.

Brynn began baton lessons in 1981 through the parks and recreation department of Mission Viejo. She said that after watching a marching band in a parade, she fell in love with the majorette’s costume. That’s the reason she began twirling lessons, she said.

Her mother, Sherri Lawrence, recalled it a bit differently.

“When she was in elementary school, there was a talent show and she wanted to be in it,” her mother said. “We had a baton that had belonged to my sister and me. She (Brynn) used it to try out for the show but didn’t get in. She started taking lessons, and the next year she got in.”

Whatever her reason for becoming a majorette, Brynn is now a very dedicated and busy one.

Besides her practice time with the two bands, she attends school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., coaches other high school drum majorettes at Foothill High School in Tustin until 6:30 p.m., and practices for another 2 hours before settling down to dinner and homework.

Brynn has been with the University band since her freshman year. “It’s really nice to twirl here because the majority of high schools don’t even have majorettes. The directors say it’s too much of a spotlight.”

Brynn has been a member of the Santa Ana Winds for 1 year. She says this group has become a second family to her.

“At Winds, everyone’s together so much that we’re just one big, happy bunch,” she said. “We get to go to a lot of places together. The band draws people from so many places that you get to meet many different people.”

Speaking of Brynn, Winds director Robert Ward said, “she’s been a definite plus to our band.”

With the time commitments that come with recognition, Brynn has found it increasingly difficult to find time for competitions.

“When I was younger, I loved the competition aspect. I thrived on the competition part of it. As I got older, it became harder to find time to practice. There are tons of parades, and I don’t have time to dedicate to competitions.”

It has also become more difficult for her to find time to devote to her other interests as a member of the school’s National Charity League and Junior Classical League clubs.

Brynn, however, said that twirling has taken nothing from her. In fact, she said, it has helped instill in her qualities such as showmanship, dedication, discipline, coordination and flexibility. Twirling has even helped her overcome her fears.

“I do a routine with a fire baton,” she said. “It helped me get over my fear of fire.”

Twirling is included in Brynn’s plans. She hopes, someday, to twirl her baton for a major university--preferably UCLA. “I want to get my grades up,” said Brynn, who has a B average. “I want to go to UCLA, so I need to work hard on my grades.”

Brynn has fleeting dreams about careers in modeling or acting, but said those choices are not “sound.” Instead, she “wants to work with children.”

“I want to own a preschool or set up a day-care center for a large corporation. The way society’s going, it’s going to be needed in another decade.”

Said Ward: “There’s not much use for baton twirling after you’re 19 or 20. There’s not much future in it, but Brynn will find something to do.”