Craig fights to keep his grandmother’s dream alive

At a community centre in Beeston, Leeds, a group of majorettes are rehearsing for their next big baton twirling competition later this month.

As they fling their batons high into the air, twisting and spinning them around while simultaneously performing gymnastic dance moves, they are watched carefully by troupe leader, Craig Womersley.

The 21-year-old stepped into his grandmother’s shoes as troupe leader, following her sudden death last November. He decided to leave his job as a holiday entertainer in Spain and come back to Yorkshire to manage the troupe as a tribute to his grandmother, Barbara White.

Barbara founded the Holbeck and Beeston Lynbar Majorettes 29 years ago and the troupe went on to win numerous regional and international competitions. But the group had dwindled to 13 members and was facing financial crisis before Craig stepped in.

“This is my passion. I’ve always loved it and when she died I decided to come back from Lanzarote to run the group,” says Craig, who is also training to be an actor.

If anyone can march the troupe to a win, it should be Craig. In 2007, he became known as the boy from Beeston who won the hearts of thousands of viewers in Britain’s first series of Britain’s Got Talent after revealing he had hidden his baton-twirling hobby from his parents for 10 years. Emerging as a star baton-twirler, he made it through to the semi-finals and came ninth in the competition.

Craig started twirling at the age of three. He twirled anything he could get his hands on, including pencils, sticks and brooms. Though he was the only male majorette in the group, he happily joined in as the troupe entered competitions and parades around the region.

“It never really bothered me. I just enjoyed what I did,” says Craig. “Then I started getting bullied at school, so my parents said it was best to stop. I did stop for about six months when I was about eight, but then I got straight back into it behind their backs!”

As a boy, Craig spent the weekends at his grandma’s house and used to sneak out to rehearsals with her. They were always very close. Craig even reveals a tattoo with the word Nana at the top of his arm.

“She used to live around the corner and I used to go there at weekends or school holidays. I used to dance at the competitions and we kept it a secret.”

His cover was blown however, when he entered the ITV talent show.

“It was just the best experience ever,” he recalls. I was just going to dance, originally, because I’ve always danced and then my Nana suggested I do the twirling.

“I thought I’ll give it a go and I got through but then I realised I would have to start telling people. I told my parents and I think they were a bit scared at first about what it would look like, but I did well from it.

“It was the best thing I ever did. The most I achieved was that I made people more aware of the majorettes in England and that’s what I’m happy about.”

At the time, the show’s judge, Amanda Holden, was quoted as saying: “We saw loads of majorettes and none of them were a patch on Craig. He blew us away.”

Following his stint on Britain’s Got Talent, he found an agent and started touring the country to teach baton-twirling in schools and was also featured in the ITV documentary, Wood You Believe It. He twirled at festivals and carnivals up and down the country, including Party in the Park four years ago.

He gave it all up to go and work in Spain for six months, where his parents had relocated. But now he feels compelled to bring the group back to its former glory. Since taking the troupe on, membership has nearly doubled, including two new male twirlers aged 15 and 16.

“I thought to myself, I’m going to do it for my Nana,” he says, while admitting he did have doubts as to whether he could remain passionate about the majorettes.

“I thought, I’ll give it a go and I’ve just fallen in love with it again a hundred per cent. I’m just so passionate about it. I just love every minute. And since I’ve come back, quite a few people have also come back to the group. We went to our first competition in the season a few weeks ago and the response was brilliant.”

Now he is determined to take the troupe to the United States for the world Twirl Mania competition next year.

“We’re celebrating 30 years next year and I want to give the dancers a really good birthday celebration,” he says. “The world championships are at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Florida. We went in 2004 and it was just amazing.”

The group need to raise about £6,000 to take eight dancers and three chaperones.

“The dancers we hope to be taking with us on this tour will never get this opportunity again; most don’t get the chance to go abroad or on holiday due to financial difficulties. It was my grandma’s dream to be able to take the next group of young adults back to America in 2012 not only to give them the chance to compete in this world championship event, but also because Lynbar is celebrating their 30th anniversary in February,” says Craig.

“This would be a fitting tribute to my grandma’s memory and it would fill me with great pride to achieve her dream.”

The group are hoping to be able to find a sponsor, but in the meantime have started a fund-raising drive by organising raffles, a tombola and bag packing at local supermarkets. They are also planning a sponsored 10-mile walk and a sponsored swim, as well as setting up their own competition and inviting other majorette groups to compete.

Baton-twirling has become more and more popular in Britain since it arrived here about 60 years ago. There are now countless competitions across the country organised by numerous associations with name such as the Great Britain Baton Twirling Association and the British Baton Twirling Sports Association.

“It’s definitely becoming more popular,” says Craig. “This used to be the only troupe in the community and now there are about six or seven just in Beeston and Holbeck. Five of them broke away from this group. It’s still not a recognised sport but we would love it to be.”

When he isn’t coaching, Craig is training to be an actor at an evening course at Manchester School of Acting. He is also starting a degree in Television Production at Bradford University in September, as well as working as a barman and waiter at a pub in Leeds.

But he says the majorettes are his priority. “I put Lynbar first. I shouldn’t do really, I should put my education first, but I just want Lynbar to do exciting things and to get to the top.”

Anyone who is able to sponsor Lynbar Majorettes should contact the secretary, Jess Trainor at [email protected].

HOW IT ALL BEGAN...

* Baton-twirlers manipulate a metal rod with their hands and body to a co-ordinated routine.

* According to the World Baton Twirling Federation, the pastime originated in Eastern Europe and Asia where people twirled knives, guns, torches and sticks, before progressing onto twirling rifles. Rifles were then replaced with a mace, which is still used today by some marching bands with a mace bearer or drum major twirling the baton to lead the band.

* Today’s batons are made of hollow metal with rubber ends.

* Nowadays, twirling is similar to rhythmic gymnastics. Baton-twirlers create a dextrous display of dance movements, showing flexibility and strength, while cleverly manipulating the baton.