Instructors

Gina Branley Hutchinson, Founder, Director/Choreographer 1974 to present:

Gina Hutchinson grew up in Newport, N.H. on the shores of Lake Sunapee. She began singing and dancing at age five and carried her love of music and acting all the way through Plymouth State College, where she performed in musicals, toured with the Polyphonic Choir and even won the talent award in the 1969 Miss Plymouth State Pageant of the Miss America Program. However, she also had a love of baton twirling. So much so that she went all the way to Brattleboro , Vermont to find one teacher and continued her own training after college with a vaudeville twirling entertainer from Nashua named Don Turner, who, at 58, was still an amazing twirler and task master!

She began her teaching career in 1970 in the Timberlane School District and it was there that her third love, baton twirling, got a chance to emerge as she was asked to coach the Timberlane High School Majorettes. From there the longest running and most random “Accident” took place. Starting a baton twirling team had never entered her mind until girls in her elementary school asked if she could teach them so one day they, too, could be Timberlane High Majorettes.

Gina’s teams have dominated New England Twirling for three decades and burst on the National scene in 1979 continuing to improve until they are currently one of the top five best teams in the Unites States and National and World Champions many times over. But Hutchinson is most proud of being a coach with a broader view of twirling. Her teams have traveled the world entertaining from Spain to Russia, Ireland to Germany and in August 2010, will perform in the Shanghai Music Festival in China. On any given Saturday, members of the Red Star College Team can be seen leading the bands at the University of Connecticut, Cornell University, Penn State University, Syracuse University, University of Tennessee and Tulane University. Red Star Twirlers have lead the Syracuse Marching Band for fourteen years out of the last twenty. Since 1994, three more Red Stars have been the Captains of the Penn State University Touch of Blue Majorettes. Since 1989, twenty four Red Stars have combined brains and batons to perform at colleges all over the United States. Her own two daughters, Lori Branley Fischer and Lisa Branley Castro started it all at Penn State and Syracuse in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Lori was “The Blue Sapphire” Feature Twirler and Lisa was an “Orange Twin” with her duet partner Rebecca Fowler Zakis.

In 2009, Gina was sworn in to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, fulfilling yet another passion. After being heavily involved in campus student government, Gina became the President of her school district’s teachers association as well as contract negotiator. After taking an early retirement to focus on The Red Stars, she promised her fellow teachers that she would remain actively supporting them. Being in the Legislature has fulfilled that promise. Interestingly, The Red Stars have been honored by that very same legislative body five times and will, again, prior to their China trip.

Among her own personal honors:

Public School:

Derry, NH Teacher of the Year, 1987
Top three finalist , NH Teacher of the Year, 1989
Governor’s Award for creating of the PALS Program ( mentoring between high school and needy elementary students)

Twirling:

Choreographer of the Year- Twirl Mania, 2001
National Baton Twirling Association Hall of Fame – in the first class
Harold Mc Neil Award
Coach of the Year- Twirl Mania 2009

KERIANN LYNCH

2004 Syracuse University Graduate and Retired Orange Girl

In 2009 she obtained her Master's degree in Elementary Education from Northeastern University and currently teaches third grade.
KeriAnn has won 43 National and World Open Twirling titles through the National Baton Twirling Association.
She has appeared on ESPN, ABC Sports, and the Disney Channel.
As part of Red Star Productions she has performed for 2 US Presidents and twirled all over the world.
She danced and twirled professionally for 2 years with Busch Gardens Williamsburg and choreographed shows for the Macy's Parade 2008, Toyota Gator Bowl and the Capital One Bowl.
She shares more than 20 years of baton, ballet, jazz and gymnastics training with the Red Star team members of all ages.

ASHLEY TILLER

Former Feature Twirler & Marching Band Dance Team Member at Boston College

Accomplishments: Attending Boston College Master's Program in Moderate Disabilities

May 2007 1st Honors Graduate of Boston College with degrees in Elementary Education and Human Development and is currently a third grade special education teacher.
Has won most baton state & regional titles along with several national & open world titles at AYOP.
She has choreographed the Junior Pom, Senior Pom & Senior Danceline teams the past 5 years - All have placed top 10 at Nationals & 1st place at Twirlmania!
As a Red Star team member she performed in Ireland, at Disney World & on two Carnival cruises & was a medal winner in the first AAU Junior Olympics that offered baton twirling.
TwirlMania Mickey Mouse Award Winner, 2005 Bernice Serafino Sportsmanship Trophy Recipient, 2006 & 2008 Claude Gilbert Scholarship winner, 2008 Dorothy Barry Award.
Ashley brings to her students over 20 years of combined baton & dance training, having competed in baton, tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, pointe & pom.

Junior Instructors

ASHLEY ANDREW

Age:

20

Accomplishments:

2011 Recipient of the Major Marjorie Gilbert & Barbara Paine Award for Sportsmanship, Friendship, Goodwill, and Achievement in Baton Twirling
2009 Dorothy Barry Memorial Sportsmanship Award Recipient
2009 Advanced Senior Miss Majorette of the Northeast
2008 National Showtwirl Champion

Best Event:

Showtwirl

Favorite Trick:

Anything caught right blind

JESSICA AVELAR

Age:

17

Accomplishments:

2011 National Showtwirl Champion
2011 Advanced Senior Miss Majorette of NH Royalty
2011 6th Place Advanced 16+ Solo at Nationals
2011 8th Place Advanced 16+ X-Stru at Nationals
2011 8th Place Advacnde 16+ 2-Baton at Nationals
2011 Miss Greater Derry's Outstanding Teen

Best Event:

X-Strut

Favorite Trick:

Toss forward roll catch on back

KALEIGH MCIVER

Age:

15

Accomplishments:

2005 Twirlmania Jr. High School Soloist and Beginner Duet & Mousecar Winner with Giselle Cardona; 2007 New Hampshire State Jr. Advanced Soloist, 3 Baton and Duet Champion with Lauryn Debaie, 2007 NE Regional 3 Baton Champion and Advanced Open Duet with Lauryn D

Best Event:

X-Strut

Favorite Trick:

Crossover Illusion