Golden Girl and solo twirler auditions set for April 17

Ten twirlers will vie for four solo spots - the Golden Girl, Girl in Black and Silver Twins - at Purdue's 2004-05 Solo Twirler Auditions on Saturday, April 17, on the Purdue campus.

Christy Stallings, a junior from Johnston City, IL, will compete to retain her Golden Girl title at the annual event. Stallings is the 24 th Purdue twirler to win the right to perform in gold sequins. The nationally recognized twirling position was initiated by Prof. Emeritus Al. G. Wright in 1954 and celebrates its 50 th anniversary in the fall of 2004.

By tradition, solo twirlers must compete each year to repeat in their positions.

Current Silver Twins Julie Thompson, a junior from Westlake, OH, and Tracy Johnson, a sophomore from San Gabriel, CA, will also reaudition. Competition is expected to be particularly intense for the Girl in Black spot being vacated by Waterford, MI, senior Krista Woodward who will graduate in May after twirling in that position for two years.

The public is invited to watch the performance segment of the auditions which runs concurrently with Spring Fest activities on campus. It will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 17, at the Soccer Complex located on Airport Road just north of the Purdue Airport.

Six of the participating twirlers are currently performing with the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band auxiliaries. Most of the remaining twirlers come from Indiana, but one hails from New Jersey.

"Having someone from clear out in New Jersey is a plus," says Alisha Kuckartz, Auxiliaries Director. "It tells me the word is out about Purdue and its twirling program."

Kuckartz says she's looking forward to seeing all the different twirling and choreography styles the women will bring to the April 17 competition.

At the morning session, each twirler will be asked to present an original two-minute routine as well as a marching routine. As a group, all of the women will be introduced to a pre-choreographed segment to see how quickly they can pick up new material.

Following a private luncheon, all the candidates will go through personal interviews with members of the marching band staff and guest judges Erin Strauss, former Silver Twin, and Susan Fron, former Golden Girl.

"All these women are talented in different ways and we need to choose the four best for all the aspects of the position. Besides talent, there's presence on the field, showmanship and their ability to communicate," says Kuckartz. "There are so many things to look at."

Led by the Golden Girl, Purdue's solo twirlers fill a vital public relations role by serving as ambassadors for the university and the band in a wide variety of settings.

Announcement of the 2004-05 Golden Girl, Girl in Black and Silver Twins will be made at 5 p.m. in Room 15 of Elliott Hall of Music. The public is invited to attend.

For more information on Purdue's twirling program contact Alisha Kuckartz at (765) 494-9115 or visit www.purdueperformers.com .