Maryland Twisters Cheerleading

Can’t decide between shorts or a skirt for your All Star Uniforms? Get both, and wear one for prelims and the other for finals! An emerging trend is Two-Day Uniforms, as displayed by the California All Stars, Maryland Twisters, Matrix All Stars. A few of the advantages of having two separate uniforms as opposed to just one are:

• The ability to put on a fresh, clean cheerleading uniform Day 2
• The opportunity to showcase two completely different looks and styles (F5 chose to do Sporty for Day 1 and Elegant for Day 2)
• The choice of which uniform to wear for single day competitions

Congratulations to Maryland Twisters F5, the 2011 World Champions in the Large Senior All-Girl division! After entering finals in the lead, they gave the performance of a lifetime Day 2 and walked away with the title! Captain Brittany Burkhard said, “Coming into Day 2 in 1st place was a huge morale booster and really got the team hyped up. However, our motto has always been ‘it's not how you start, it's how you finish’ and as a team, we knew we had to come out and give the performance of our lives. Day 2's performance was about staying focused and hitting the routine for ourselves, our coaches, as well as our dedicated fans. We had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so we put our hearts on the floor.” Congrats again, F5, on two amazing performances and the win! You were fantastic and you looked stunning!

The Diva is Back!

As a member of F5, I would like to thank GK Elite for everything they have done for us! The cheer uniforms, practice wear, warm-ups – all absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for your support all of these years, you all have been the best!

Go with the original, the innovator, the brand that started the revolution. Go with GK.

Assess your team carefully and try to pick a style that is flattering to all of the athletes.
Would crop tops or full tops look better? Shorts or skirts? You want your athletes to look good and feel comfortable in their GK Uniforms, which in turn, will help them to perform their best!

Always order a prototype. 
Nothing is as helpful as seeing the uniform in person! Put it on an athlete and have them jump and tumble. Do you like the way it looks? Now is the time to make any adjustments, so that when you’re ready to order for your team, you’ll have your perfect uniform!

And finally, have fun with the design process!
GK designers are the best in the business! Their goal is to make your uniform concept into a reality, so the process is truly collaborative.

Go with the original, the innovator, the brand that started the revolution. Go with GK.

Maryland Twisters Black Ice teammates Josh, Taylor, Julieanne, and Ryan look amazing in their team’s new custom GK All Star uniforms, which perfectly complement the polished yet fun style of their routine! The unique design and elements of the uniforms look fantastic on the floor and close-up. Having received their Full-Paid Worlds Bid from Spirit Unlimited, Black Ice will be making their Worlds debut this season in the International Open Coed division. Good luck, Twisters!

Go with the original, the innovator, the brand that started the revolution. Go with GK.

Thanks to GK’s Special Order Cheerleading Uniform service, teams are designing their own uniforms to match their unique personalities and styles. This year at NCA, several original cheer uniform concepts from GK Elite made their debut on the competition floor!

Top Gun’s International Open Coed’s new uniforms pushed All-star cheerleading uniforms to its limits in terms of innovation and freshness!  From the arm wraps to the lace-ups, their uniforms are edgy, fun, and original, just like Top Gun!

Maryland Twisters F5 looked elegant and fierce in their new custom GK uniforms, which incorporate their all-star cheerleading team’s colors with a touch of turquoise to brighten it up. They also decided to have the design be the focal point of the top and chose to have their signature “F5” on the skirt instead. This design completely captures their “diva” style!

Go with the original, the innovator, the brand that started the revolution. Go with GK.

GK Elite wants to give a special “Congratulations” to the amazing Special Needs Team from the Maryland Twisters, Eye of the Storm! This group of 18 remarkable athletes traveled all the way to Atlanta, Georgia in order to perform at Cheersport Nationals and compete against the best of the best in their division. This being their first time at Cheersport, they captured the gold in a division with 10 teams! Coach Sharon Myrick said her favorite part of the experience was "meeting all the other special needs athletes while waiting outside warmups, as well as getting to meet Bill Presson (ACE-Bows and Arrows), USASF committee member, who was with Kentucky Elite Showcats when this whole concept started."  “Eye” looked absolutely stunning in their new GK Cheer Uniforms, which gave them that extra bit of confidence they needed to secure their National Champion title. 





















Check out GK's New 2011 Cheer Catalog!

HE’S NOT JUST A FAMILIAR FACE AT CHEERLEADING WORLDS – HE’S ALSO A MODEL FOR ABERCROMBIE & FITCH AND WAS RECENTLY FEATURED IN THE 2011 GK ELITE CHEER CATALOG.

WHEN RYAN’S NOT DAZZLING THE COUNTRY WITH HIS LOOKS AND SKILLS, THE PRE-MED STUDENT CAN BE FOUND COACHING AT MARYLAND TWISTERS OR VOLUNTEERING AT THE LOCAL SOUP KITCHEN. INSIDE CHEERLEADING CAUGHT UP WITH RYAN TO ASK HIM ABOUT HIS DIFFERENT VENTURES, AND HOW HE KEEPS UP WITH IT ALL.

How Did You Get Into Modeling?

I got into modeling my senior year of high school after my senior pictures photographer submitted my photos to a local modeling agency. After graduating high school, my agency offered me the option to move to New York full time to purse a full-fl edged modeling career, but I was left with the difficult decision to pick modeling or school. In the end, I decided that school was more important.

Where Do You Go To School and What Are You Majoring In?

I’m currently a junior at John Hopkins University, class of 2012, on an academic scholarship (Hodson Trust Scholar). I was one of only 15 in my incoming class to receive this scholarship. I’m a pre-med student, double majoring in Behavioral Biology and Art History. I hope to one day be a plastic surgeon with my own surgical practice.

WHEN AND HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH CHEERLEADING?

When and How Did You Get Involved With Cheerleading?

After being a gymnast for many years, I started cheerleading when some friends suggested I join their local All Star team to better my chances at a college scholarship. I began cheering in 2005 and instantly fell in love with the sport. In 2006, I cheered at Kentucky Elite in Lexington, KY on their large senior coed team for two years, making two top 10 appearances at Worlds. After moving to Baltimore for school, I began cheering at Maryland Twisters on their international open team Black Ice. My favorite part of any cheerleading routine would be standing tumbling and partner stunting, and my signature tumbling skill is punch front through to whip whip double full. This year I started coaching at Maryland Twisters large youth Level 2 team (Little Winds), and it has been an extremely rewarding and awesome experience.

WHAT MAKES YOU NERVOUS?

What Makes You Nervous?

The stunt section of any routine always makes me nervous. I’m always holding my breath until I’m sure every stunt is staying in the air. One stunt bust can be the difference between first and last place.

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS BESIDES CHEERLEADING?

What Are Your Other Interests Besides Cheerleading?

I have many interests outside of cheerleading. I always try to involve myself in community service to help better and give back to the community. Whether I’m volunteering at the hospital or working at the local soup kitchen, I make giving back and helping those less fortunate a priority. On campus I’m also involved with a group called A Place To Talk, which provides an outlet for students who are stressed or just need someone to listen empathetically to help them resolve their problems.

As Maryland Twisters F5’s point flyer, our new GK Cheer website cover girl Val Rubenstein has been gaining a lot of attention from the cheer world this year. Her amazing showmanship in both stunts and tumbling has really displayed her remarkable cheerleading abilities!

Val discusses cheerleading and NCA All-Star Nationals with GK:

What is your favorite part of being an All-Star Cheerleader?
 “My favorite part of being an All-Star Cheerleader is meeting people! I've met some of my very best friends and amazing coaches through the sport and I don't know what I would do without them!”

So NCA is this weekend! How are you feeling going into it?
“I'm so excited! All I can say is I'm ready! My team is working so hard to prepare for this nationals event and we want to win so badly! I'm ready to show the world what we're made of!”

What have you been doing to prepare yourself?
“I've been eating right and working out to make sure I can endure this routine flawlessly! At practices I make sure to do everything that's asked of me so that when the time comes to perform I'm prepared!”

What is your favorite part of F5's routine this year?
“My favorite part of F5's routine this year is the stunt sequence because when we hit it at competition the thrill of hearing the crowd roar is an indescribable feeling!

Do you have any pre-performance rituals/superstitions?
“I hate splitting poles! Before we take the floor we pray and have a team talk on the floor. I also have handshakes with a few girls on the team that we do right before the music starts!”

What do you think of your GK competition cheer apparel?
“Our custom GK uniforms are amazing! Not only are they gorgeous, they are so comfortable! The crystals make them so unique from any other brand and when the lights hit them on the floor the sparkle is breathtaking!”

Her advice to other cheerleaders:
“There are no excuses for anything! When you think you have reached your absolute limits push harder and you'd be amazed at what you can do! An amazing person once told me to hope for the best and expect the worst because whatever can go wrong will and you need to be prepared to fight for every last bit of it.”

Congratulations to Kelly McKeown, GK Elite Sportswear’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations and Design, on being elected by her peers to the US All Star Federation (USASF) National Advisory Board (NAB). 

The mission of the US All Star Federation is to maximize the number of participants benefiting from the positive life experiences of all star cheerleading and dance by developing competition rules and all star gym training guidelines consistent with the latest best known safety, educational, and ethical practices, and the mission of this Board is to set the agenda for the USASF, which means looking down the road and recommending those actions that will best serve the members of USASF. The NAB is the body within the USASF that typically addresses difficult issues that lack easy solutions. Board members look at issues long term while other Committees handle implementation once the NAB sets the course.

In addition to McKeown, the USASF National Advisory Board members are as follows, with recently elected Cheer Coach Representative and Competition Event Producer members having terms running through 2012, while Affiliate Members have one year terms.

Cheer Coach Representatives

Terms expire December, 2011

Brad Habermel – Cheer Athletics, TX

Tara Cain – Maryland Twisters, MD

Courtney Pope – Cheer Extreme, NC

Orson Sykes, Twist and Shout, OK

Cheryl Pasinato – East Celebrity Elite, MA

Terms expire in December 2012

Debbie Love, Premier Athletics, KY

Sean Timmons, World Cup, NJ

Karen Wilson, All Star Elite Cheer, CA

Lisa Hemmie, Premier Athletics, KY

Jeff Miller, Pro Spirit, TX

Competition Event Producers

Terms expire in December 2011

Dan Kessler, JAMfest, KY

Colleen Little, Cheer America, TX

Justin Carrier, NCA, TX

Billy Smith, Spirit Celebration, TX

Mike Pare, Spirit Cheer, FL

Terms expire in December 2012

Jeannine Sentilles, Mardi Gras, LA

Steve Wedge, COA, OH

Bill Patterson, NCA, TX

Kevin Brubaker, CheerSport, NC

Lisa Saline, UPA, MN

Affiliate Members

Terms expire in December, 2011

Shane Womack – Inside Cheerleading

Dawnn Doychak – FirstFriday

Terms expire in December 2012

Kelly McKeown, GK Elite

Brian Hamfeldt, Action Moments

James Kersey– Nfinity Shoes

Cheerleading Choreographer Luke Johnson from Twisted Choreography sat down for an interview about his business and his philosophy with Cheer Coach and Advisor Magazine's Heather Portnoy.


It’s more than 5-6-7-8.

This is the motto of “Choreographer to the Champions” Luke Johnson of Twisted Choreography. At only 31, he has taken the cheerleading world by storm with his revolutionary choreography that will keep you on the edge of your seat with its cinematic appeal. His choreography has helped attain over 15 Worlds medals and multiple Worlds bids, including 40 bids at the 2010 Worlds alone.

The Cheer Coach & Advisor staff met Luke two years ago at the USASF Cheerleading and Dance Worlds. It all began over a Worlds t-shirt. If you have been to Worlds, you know what I am talking about. You’ll see a plethora of creative t-shirts supporting all your favorite programs. The shirt that caught our eyes was “Luke’s Got My Back.” We asked the simple question, “Who is Luke?” and we quickly learned that he was an amazing up and coming choreographer, thus beginning our journey with Luke Johnson. He was innovative, inspirational and blazing the trails with many award winning routines. Luke created the choreography for 27 teams competing at the 2009 Cheerleading Worlds. There was no question this was someone that we needed to meet.

For Luke, it all began with cheerleading. He cheered for a couple of different all star programs and vividly remembers the first time his coach hired an outside choreographer. Luke shares, “Everyone watched in admiration. I was very intrigued and was mentally breaking down everything that he was doing. I could see the pictures that he was trying to create and knew that I could do this.” At the age of 18, Luke took this experience and created the choreography for a local high school cheer team. That year, the team came in first in their state championships. Luke was hooked and choreographed eight routines the following year.

Things have snowballed for Luke ever since. He has had experience in almost every role in cheerleading. He has been a cheerleader, owned a gym, coached, choreographed and managed the Maryland Twisters program. In his early 20’s, he moved to California to pursue dance and became a certified Hip Hop instructor. His heart was still in cheerleading and he quickly returned, bringing with him a dance inspired style that includes leaps and turns not typically seen in cheer choreography. (but brought his knowledge and inspiration from dance. (by using more turns and leaps not typically seen in cheer choreography.)

If anyone lives up to their reputation, it’s certainly Luke. He is an absolute perfectionist, creative genius, and a pure fireball of energy. His joyful personality is contagious. Luke believes in spreading a positive attitude. Known for his trademark v-neck t-shirts and scarf, if you see Luke enter the room, clear the way and prepare to be inspired. He has an innate ability for making people feel comfortable, identifying commonalities and creating a unified spirit. It almost seems that he is the puzzle master knowing which pieces fit together perfectly with each group he meets.

We asked Luke how he is able to make these connections and so accurately fit the right routine to the personality and vibe of each team. He shares, “So much of what I do is based on the energy of the kids. I feed off this energy so much. I take time and connect with the team. Ask each coach what their strengths and weaknesses are. I don’t just focus on the strengths. I work to round out the entire team.”

It’s a natural fit for coaches to be the catalyst in motivating their team. Luke definitely believes that everyone has their own way of doing things but he quickly shared his personal beliefs on getting the most from your teams. “The energy that you possess is how you will affect them. Once they see the personality that you are bringing in, you can get them connected with you and bring them back in. A coaches’ personality and energy changes the game.” He goes on to say, “I am a believer in creating your own reality. If you want the kids to have energy, you have to create that for them.”

Luke spends at least 10 months out of the year traveling throughout the United States and abroad working with powerhouse gyms both big and small. Some of the programs that he works with include: California All-Stars, ACE of Alabama, Cheer Extreme, Illinois Cheer Company, Arizona Power Extreme, Maryland Twisters and Spirit of Texas just to name a few. He has an affinity for every program he works with regardless of size or name recognition in the industry. The affinity is obviously mutual through the conversations we have had with many who work with him and by watching people gravitate to him wherever is he is.



Brad Vaughn, Spirit of Texas Owner, Choreographer and Head Coach shares, “Luke is such a great person! He has managed to stay humble and professional despite his incredible success. He seems to always connect with the athletes regardless of their level or ability. He is one of the most talented individuals in the cheer industry. He is dependable, respectful and above all else, kind. He has a heart bigger than Texas and it shows in everything he does. Luke is one of those rare people that touches the lives of thousands of people across the country. He has made such a positive impact at Spirit of Texas!! His motto is “it’s more than 5-6-7-8” and he lives by it daily.”

Being an inspiration to coaches is very important to Luke. He believes his actions trickle down to the team. “The energy that I share will keep going down from kid to kid to kid and create a positive effect that isn’t there all the time,” says Luke. As for what inspires Luke’s creativity and passion, he answered, “I have had many inspirations in my life which include God, family and friends. However, my cheerleading inspirations date back to when I was younger, and range from Top Gun’s endless innovation to Spirit of Texas’s visual creativity and seamless transition work. But the bulk of my creative juices comes from the cheerleaders themselves.”

On the flip side, how a coach disciplines their team can be equally important. Luke certainly has a wide array of experience watching the different discipline techniques of coaches throughout the world. “I’m so patient. I don’t discipline kids by doing things to them. I feel if the kids aren’t paying attention and giving 100%, instead of getting mad and making them do conditioning, I simply stop teaching. I don’t raise my voice. I stop teaching and sit there quietly unless I have their undivided attention,” says Luke. When asked if this was realistic for coaches who are with the team year round Luke shares, “I don’t think anyone should ever teach by fear. You should teach by respect. You earn respect by knowledge. Conditioning should be a training tool.”

When it comes to cheerleading safety, Luke feels the industry is making the proper strides. He is a firm believer in ‘Perfection Before Progression’ and appreciates the new cheer safety video created by GK Elite Sportswear, Shawn Johnson, and Top Gun. Luke shares his thoughts, “I feel this video is something everyone needs to watch and is spot on. If you don’t do this, you are setting everyone up for injury. I see so many ranges of this as both parents and kids are working to get to the next level. I have even seen coaches that tend to forget this.”

Another natural fit is for a choreographer to help identify the right music mix for the routine. Finding the right music is the critical final step for a routine. Luke believes, “It’s the icing on the cake. Music is as much of a delicacy in this sport as choreography, uniforms and proper training. People know who to go to when looking for good music. We are an industry that talks all the time. People know who does what music and who people are.”

Luke’s passion for cheerleading, standards of excellence, and desire to continue revolutionizing the spirit industry can be an inspiration to any coach. He thrives off traveling the globe “twisting” every team he meets. He recognizes that key to success is the team effort of choreographer, coach, and cheerleader. “I am humbled by the intensity this sport has in affecting people’s lives and in that, I find great inspiration from the athletes themselves. I feed off their energy and passion for the same amazing sport that so graciously allows me to be here, doing what I love every day.”

*Visit http://www.cheercoachmagazine.com for full video.

Photos and article Reprinted with Permission from Cheer Coach and Advisor Magazine. Check them out online at http://www.cheercoachmagazine.com