Purdue News
Purdue News
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April 7, 2004 Golden Girl and solo twirler auditions set for April 17WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Ten twirlers will vie for four solo spots – the Golden Girl, Girl in Black and Silver Twins – on Saturday, April 17, during Purdue's 2004-05 solo twirler auditions. Christy Stallings, a junior from Johnston City, Ill., will compete to retain her Golden Girl title at the annual event. Stallings is the 24th Purdue twirler to be named Golden Girl. The nationally recognized twirling position, initiated by director of bands emeritus Al G. Wright in 1954, celebrates its 50th anniversary in the fall of 2004. By tradition, solo twirlers must compete each year to retain their positions. Current Silver Twins Julie Thompson, a junior from Westlake, Ohio, and Tracy Johnson, a sophomore from San Gabriel, Calif., also will reaudition. Competition is expected to be particularly intense for the Girl in Black spot being vacated by Waterford, Mich., 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 begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 17, at the Soccer Complex, located on Airport Road just north of the Purdue Airport. Announcement of the 2004-05 Golden Girl, Girl in Black and Silver Twins will be made at 5 p.m. in Elliott Hall of Music, Room 15. The public is invited to attend. 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 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 interviews with members of the marching band staff and guest judges Erin Strauss, former Silver Twin, and Susan Fron, former Golden Girl. "All of 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," Kuckartz says. "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. CONTACT: Kuckartz, (765) 494-9115, Purdue Performers web site; Kathy Matter, Purdue Bands public relations director, (765) 496-6785, kcmatter@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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