Lost Art of Baton Twirling Finds New Life

Sharla Comstock, who is an attorney and certified public accountant, formed Athletic Sensations in 2011 in order to start offering affordable baton twirling classes to youths in Michigan.

Comstock has won numerous awards for baton twirling. She also taught baton twirling for several years for Bonnie Hood, who founded the Bonnie Blue Bells.

Comstock was a majorette for her middle and high school bands and a performer on an international show team called the New Olympians, which was formed by Hood. The New Olympians was essentially a variety show, which featured baton twirlers, and traveled to different countries every year to perform its show. As a member of the New Olympians, she had the opportunity to travel to a number of foreign countries, including the Netherlands, Spain, Morocco, Denmark, Russia, and Ireland.

Comstock has thought about forming an organization that provides baton twirling lessons for many years, but did not do so because she had too much respect for Hood to run a baton twirling organization in competition with her. Hood, who was one of the last providers of baton twirling classes in the Grand Rapids area, stopped offering baton twirling classes several years ago. In 2011, Comstock decided that the time was right to reintroduce the community to the art of baton twirling. She hopes to pass on the opportunities she had as a youth to kids today at low cost to students.