Looking for a unique opportunity to exercise? Give this Johnson County class a spin

Shawn Jones was searching through the Johnson County Park & Recreation District’s program catalog, looking to find an activity that was unique to her.

But “unique” turned out to be familiar after all to Jones, who had recently retired: She joined Silver Spinners, a new four-week class offered this month through the district’s 50 Plus program.

Jones, who hasn’t really twirled a baton since high school, was surprised by the class.

“It was amazing how quickly it came back to me,” she said.

Jones isn’t unique in catching on to the skill decades after she last held a baton, said instructor Marilyn Busby, who saw very few drops during the first class.

“They did really good. It was as if the years just melted away.”

Silver Spinners, which had an impressive initial class enrollment of nine, fits into an important direction for the park and recreation district, said Dave Driscoll, 50 Plus recreation coordinator at the New Century Fieldhouse facility where the baton twirling takes place.

“To get that number in a class in a quite unique field was a great result,” Driscoll said. “We are trying a few new things, like intro to walking soccer. It’s just like soccer but you can’t run.”

Jones began twirling in park and recreation programs while growing up in Kansas City. She even was a band majorette in her freshman year of high school. However, Jones put her batons away the next year when she joined her school’s pom-pom squad.

“I twirled very rarely, maybe every once and while,” said Jones, who eventually taught computer lab in the Spring Hill School District. “Sometimes when I had outdoor duty (at school) I would twirl my umbrella.”

Jones enjoys Silver Spinners, and was surprised that so many signed up.

“There were quite a few people who had twirled before,” she said.

Jones’ enthusiasm was exactly what instructor Marilyn Busby was hoping for in her students.

“The whole class is excited,” Busby said. “I figured if one of two signed up I’d be happy. They all walked in with a baton. Most were majorettes in high school. I did not have to teach them. It was more like refreshing them.”

Like Jones, Busby became interested in twirling while in elementary school in Butler, Missouri.

“I watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade and they always had twirlers,” Busby said. “I really wanted to be one.”

One Christmas, Busby got her baton and how-to book. In junior high, she got an instructor.

Busby twirled in junior and senior high. She was a feature twirler at Central Missouri State University, and a competitive baton twirler in the National Baton Twirling Association.

Busby eventually became an instructor and owner of a baton and dance studio.

She passed on her talent to her daughter, Angelea, who was a feature baton twirler at the University of Kansas from 2000 to 2004. She also won the talent competition with her baton twirling when she won Miss Kansas in 2003. And she won the non-finalist talent award at Miss America 2004. That means she had the highest talent score of those who did not make the contests’ top 10.

For the past 20 years, Marilyn Busby has been a judge for twirling competition held by the National Baton Twirling Association.

“It is a really big thing,” Busby said. “You just don’t hear about it.”

Busby and her daughter designed the Silver Spinners class and approach the park and recreation district about it last fall.

“I did it selfishly because I still wanted to twirl,” Busby said. “It’s good for my brain. I get exercise. Hopefully we will repeat it next fall.”

The class members may not have to wait until fall. They already are talking about participating in area festivals or parades as a group.

This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 5:00 AM.