Majorette (dancer)

Majorette (dancer)

A majorette is a person doing choreographed dance or movement, primarily baton twirling associated with marching bands during parades. It derives from girls' involvement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in drill and gymnastic teams or groups that used apparatuses similar to those found in rhythmic gymnastics. Majorettes can also twirl knives, fire knives, flags, light-up batons, and fire batons. They do illusions, cartwheels, and flips, and sometimes twirl up to four batons at a time. Majorettes are often confused with cheerleaders, when in fact, baton twirling is more closely related to rhythmic gymnastics rather than cheerleading.