Tawana Lee, left, director of the Pembroke Hamilton Club Majorettes and Drum Corps with her mother, Bettyann Nolan (Photograph by Jessie Moniz Hardy)
Tawana Lee’s dream is to keep the majorettes alive in Bermuda.
To do that she puts in a lot of effort, particularly at this time of year when Bermuda Day is in sharp focus.
After a full day at her job, she switches on her computer most evenings and gets busy with administrative work for the Pembroke Hamilton Club Majorettes and Drum Corps.
She also runs the group practices at least three times a week in the run-up to the Bermuda Day Parade.
“It is very draining,” the 43-year-old said. There are many nights when she falls asleep over her keyboard. “I wake up at my computer at 5.40am and start the day,” she said.
PHC will be the only traditional majorettes performing on Friday. While other groups dance to music, PHC’s majorettes will twirl batons and march to a band along the entire parade route.
Ms Lee got interested sometime around the age of ten, while watching friends perform in parades.
She had to repeatedly ask her mother if she could join before she finally got a yes.
“I was a protective mother and I was worried that she would be doing too much,” Bettyann Nolan explained.
Megawatt smile: PHC’s youngest pom-pom girl, Xara Lambe, in front, with Inara Trott, left, and Samira Smith (Photograph by Jessie Moniz Hardy)
Ms Lee was already in gymnastics, did track and field and played the viola.
When she joined the Warwick United Majorettes in 1990, there were at least ten other groups performing regularly.
“The majorettes had a good following,” Ms Lee said.
She had an older cousin show her the ropes well before her first practice.
“I have to be good at whatever I do,” Ms Lee said. “She showed me the routines she was learning. So when I started I already knew how to twirl, and knew the routines they were doing and kicked right in.”
Practice makes perfect: PHC Majorettes, left, Jhayla Outerbridge, Destiny Minors, and Asaiya Brangman (Photograph by Jessie Moniz Hardy)
She became immersed in the group – and so did her mother.
“I was never a majorette myself,” Ms Nolan said. “I was a ballerina in my youth and I also played softball.”
“She helped the director,” said Ms Lee, who worked her way up through the group to become leader while her mother served as chairman.
In 2002 Ms Lee approached the Pembroke Hamilton Club about forming the PHC Majorettes and Drum Corps with her own style and brand.
“I was a little afraid that no one would join the new group but because I led [Warwick United] for over a year, people were comfortable with my leadership style and choreography. When I formed PHC I kept it open for anyone to join.”
Practice makes perfect: PHC pom-pom girls getting ready for Bermuda Day (Photograph by Jessie Moniz Hardy)
She had 150 members that first year and worked hard to get them to a level where they could perform overseas, something they did every other year from 2005 to 2012.
“Our first performance was on the Carnival Cruise Fascination, and on the same trip we performed at Disney's Magic Music Day Parade and Disney’s dancing workshop, both in Orlando Florida,” she said. “For our last trip we performed in the Washington DC July 4 parade that was televised.”
In 2015 there was a noticeable decline in interest and majorette groups started to disappear. Ms Lee believes it was due to an increase in the dance groups performing in parades.
“This new generation coming along is not educated about the majorettes,” she said.
Time keepers: PHC drummers Sharundae Thompson, leading Kamden White, left, Zyah Fox, Carter Caines, and Lennox Johnson (Photograph by Jessie Moniz Hardy)
In the last five years she has been trying to change that, going into schools to talk to students.
“Sometimes they don’t even know what majorettes are,” Ms Lee said.
PHC has 17 pom-pom girls; 26 majorettes range in age from 7 all the way up to adult; there are 10 drummers.
“We do have one pom-pom girl this year who is 2,” Ms Lee said. “But generally we take them from age 5, or 4, about to turn 5.”
In 2020, she started T’s Twirling Academy, providing group or private lessons for anyone who wants to learn how to twirl a baton whether or not they are part of PHC Majorettes and Drum Corps.
The pandemic slowed things down. “I did not really push it as a separate business until this year,” she said.
Ms Lee also offers her services as a consultant to anyone who wants to start a majorette group.
“I want to keep this tradition going,” she said. “Having other groups performing in public helps me, as it raises the general interest.
“We have heard that Warwick United is trying to make a comeback, but have also heard that they are not coming out to the parade this year. It is sad to know that they are not able to do that.”
Veterans in action: PHC Majorettes get in step during a practice before Bermuda Day (Photograph by Jessie Moniz Hardy)
She is grateful for her mother’s tremendous support.
“I manage the group,” Ms Nolan said. “I measure members for uniforms and run bake sales, car washes and whatever we can do to raise money for the group.”
One of their headaches is the huge expense attached to the various pieces of equipment.
“The baton alone suddenly went up in price from $35 to nearly $50,” Ms Lee said.
A majorette’s costume costs $600; drummers pay $750 plus the cost of the drum itself.
Dressed to slay: PHC Majorettes and Drum Corps during a previous Bermuda Day Parade (File photograph by Akil Simmons)
PHC Majorettes and Drum Corps offers help to families when they cannot afford to pay. Support has also come from Enstar, Cassine and the Bermuda Department of Culture.
“Unfortunately, the cost of drum equipment and the cost of getting them to Bermuda is very high, so we are still trying to cover the cost of it all,” Ms Lee said. “We applied for the Bermuda Day Fund and are awaiting proceeds from that to help pay for more costs of our programme.”
The Bermuda Day Parade begins on Friday at 12.30pm at Albuoy's Point and winds its way through Hamilton to Bernard Park.
For more information see www.phcmdc.com.
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