Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Student twirls her way to fame
UA junior earns silver medal at international competition
FAYETTEVILLE — Twotime silver medalist Savannah Miller focuses on entertaining her audience and having a good time whether she’s performing at a Razorbacks football halftime show or the world championships.
Miller is a junior and feature baton twirler at the University of Arkansas. She earned the silver medal at the 34th World Baton Twirling Championships earlier this month for her technically difficult and impassioned performance to an a cappella Amazing Grace. She finished close behind reigning world champion and five-time gold medalist Tomoe Nishigaki of Japan.
“She was just incredible, and it was incredibly well-received,” said Mark Nash, one of Miller’s competition coaches and primary choreographer. “She is one of the ones that people look at to catch the next trend, and she only gets better year after year.”
Miller’s performance has amassed more than 3 million views online — another victory in the relatively new and evolving competitions.
“It’s still a goal of mine to win gold,” she said. “But right now, I’m just happy my routine went viral on social media and that it’s impacted so many people not even related to the world of baton twirling. That has honestly been better than winning a gold medal.”
Miller has been twirling since age 3 and has earned more than 20 national and international titles, including USTA Grand National Champion in solo, USTA and National Baton Twirling Association Collegiate Champion and Grand National Twirling Champion, Miss Majorette of America and a silver medal at the 2016 world championship.
“My mom took me to a studio in Kansas City, Mo. — where I’m from — to see what I liked at that young age,” Miller said. “The instructor stuck a baton in my hand and, I don’t know, there’s just something I fell in love with.”
The sport combines dance and gymnastics with an extra level of precision necessary to handle the baton.
On top of the technical skills involved, an athlete must express artistry and emotion of the body through movement in her routine, according to the World Baton Twirling Federation.
Miller’s performances are often sassy and theatrical; however, she and her coaches decided to change up her routine for the world championships after she made Team USA.
“It was a whole new direction and a unique challenge for her,” Nash said. “I applaud her for being so capable. I feel like she can do anything. I think she is the hardest worker ever.”
With only two months to master the new routine, she trained eight to 10 hours a day on top of an 18-hour college course load for a journalism degree.
Miller said her performance also allowed her to share her faith with the world.
“I wanted to give the audience something that allowed them to connect emotionally. This song, Amazing Grace,I think everyone can relate to no matter what your religion is,” she said.
Nash said Miller is a very gracious and grateful person and a hard worker, and he felt this song and routine expressed that. The quiet song added pressure any mistakes — a drop of the baton — would be more severe.
Twirling on the field isn’t as technically challenging as competition, Miller said, but she always dreamt of performing in college — though few twirlers do both.
“She is really dedicated and has an exceptional work ethic. You don’t get to
“It was a whole new direction and a unique challenge for her. I applaud her for being so capable. I feel like she can do anything. I think she is the hardest worker ever.” — Mark Nash, coach and choreographer
this point on natural ability alone,” said Benjamin Lorenzo, University of Arkansas’ director of athletic bands. “She is a really great, all-around ambassador for the band program and the university.”
Miller also helps train the next generation of twirlers. She has taught dance and baton in the United States, Canada, the Czech Republic, France and Norway. Miller said she has plans to study abroad in Rome for six months and has been asked to teach in other countries while in Europe.
She’s not sure if she will return to the world championship in 2020, but said she will keep teaching and pursuing her goal of eventually becoming a competition judge.
“I love to give back as much as possible to the sport, and this is a great way to do it,” she said.