EMILY AND MTTY TUZINSKY PROFESSIONAL

вЂњ an athlete who loves to perform works diligently to perfect the skills of her sport,вЂќ Aramaki said.ДЄlthough many aspects are similar between the two settings in which she performs, Tutnick engages in a different mindset during a performance at a USC football game in front of the roaring crowd of the Coliseum. In competitions, twirlers are deducted points for mistakes, so she must stick to a set routine. At practice, she typically focuses on set routines that she will use in competition, rather than on the field. Tutnick spends upwards of 20 hours per week on perfecting her craft. вЂњWhen you play basketball and you dribble the ball, you dribble every single day,вЂќ Tutnick said.

EMILY AND MTTY TUZINSKY PROFESSIONAL

However, the last five years saw a blank space on the field where Tutnick now stands with her gold attire reflecting the Coliseum lights amidst a sea of red when the band formation spells out вЂњTrojans.вЂќДЄchieving her goal of twirling for USC hasnвЂ™t slowed down TutnickвЂ™s mental and physical preparation.ДЄs many professional baseball players do by hitting off a tee to start practice, Tutnick begins practices by rehearsing the most fundamental skills of twirling before getting to the flashy, вЂњbigвЂќ tricks. Up until 2013, the Trojan Marching Band had one to four twirlers each year. вЂњShe had also once said that she would be the featured twirler for the USC Trojan Marching Band, and she would do whatever it took to get there.вЂќДЇans and alumni come up to Tutnick at rallies and voice their satisfaction in finally having a twirler back in the marching band. вЂњEmily started twirling at a much older age than a lot of her competitors, and she was very adamant in being able to compete at the elite level in a very short time,вЂќ Aramaki said. They decided to find another way for her to represent her school, and Tutnick fell in love with twirling while in a small baton class in Phoenix. She always thought her tumbling skills would carry her into high school cheerleading until her mother didnвЂ™t want her to. Tutnick started as a gymnast when she was just two-years-old, but she stuck with the sport for 10 years. Eight years of twirling experience had led to this moment. The band members erupted into cheers as Tutnick bowed to close her tryout performance. вЂњBut it was really nerve-wracking being judged by peers.вЂќ вЂњ is really student-oriented, which is cool,вЂќ Tutnick said. Keeping in line with its culture, the decision was up to the student members. She showed up to Brittingham Field one day over the summer and performed in front of the marching band. Having built a relationship with the marching band during recruitment, she reached out when she received her acceptance to transfer to USC as an international relations global business major, after one year at ASU.Д«ut Tutnick still needed to try out. вЂњ was a stepping stone for me to come to USC,вЂќ Tutnick said.

When she didnвЂ™t get in, she attended Arizona State to focus on academics with her sights still set on being a Trojan. After eight years of field and competitive twirling, she sees the Coliseum stage as the peak of her twirling career.Дuring her senior year of high school, Tutnick applied to USC with dreams of twirling for the Trojan Marching Band.

ItвЂ™s a typical Tuesday evening band practice at Cromwell Field, and Tutnick, now a sophomore, is preparing for USCвЂ™s homecoming football game, where she will entertain tens of thousands of fans before kickoff and during halftime. Aramaki hands her a water bottle and a towel, which Tutnick accepts with the fierce intensity of a fighter between rounds. Tutnick walks to her coach, Liane Aramaki, breathing heavily with the same natural smile she keeps on her face while performing.

She grabs the last baton before it hits the ground and wraps up her routine with a spin and a bow, as if the drops were all planned. Two batons float down from 20 feet in the air and hit the grass after flying in and out of USC twirler Emily TutnickвЂ™s hands for a solid minute while the Trojan Marching Band plays вЂњTribute to TroyвЂќ in the background. It has taken some time, but Emily Tutnick has taken the role she always wanted.

Emily and mtty tuzinsky