By By Jenna French
If you pay close attention to the University of Louisville marching band, you’ll notice that one person stands out in the crowd. It’s a girl in a sequined outfit twirling one, two, sometimes three batons. Her name is Jennifer Maravillas, and she has been the feature twirler for U of L’s marching band for the past four years. While the band plays school favorites such as “All Hail U of L,” Maravillas wows the crowd with her flexibility and twirling talent.
A native of Virginia, Maravillas came to Louisville when she received a Feature Twirler Scholarship. “The city of Louisville is a great place to attend college. It’s big enough for career opportunities and a good nightlife, but small enough to really stand behind the university,” she said.
She also came to Louisville because of the quality of the band program, which is growing steadily, in no small part due to the dedication of directors Dr. Greg Byrne and Dr. Frederick Speck.
Maravillas’ fascination with the baton came at a very young age. When she was six years old, she saw twirlers performing at The Dance Studio in Newport News, Va., and she knew instantly that she wanted to learn more about the art. “I turned to my mom and said ‘Mom, I want to do that,'” Maravillas recalled.
This marks the 16th year Maravillas has been twirling batons, and her dedication and perseverance in the art have paid off through several awards and scholarships. In addition to the U of L Feature Baton recognition, she won the Miss Majorette title of Virginia in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003. She was the Mid-Atlantic Regional Champion in 2000 and 2001. Some of her work experience includes being a twirling instructor for the Hampton University Majorettes and the assistant twirling instructor for the Heart of Dixie Band in Alabama.
But even with all of the awards and recognition Maravillas has received, she remains humble. She stays down-to-earth and always remembers the people who got her to where she is now. “I appreciate the love and support of my family, my baton and dance coaches,” she said.
Maravillas’ presence adds a great visual element to the University of Louisville band. Every show they perform has at least one song that’s meant to profile Maravillas and the color guard; this year’s song is Ray Charles’ “One Mint Julep.” Maravillas is also a key element in the school spirit aspect of the pre-game shows, spelling out CARDS with all the fans in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
Maravillas, who will hang up her batons when she graduates from U of L in May 2006, hopes there will be a twirler to fill the position.
“Hopefully the marching band will be able to find someone with her experience, but baton twirling isn’t that big of a sport anymore,” said Gabrielle Brown, a sophomore trumpet player. “It’s becoming harder and harder to find twirlers who have been practicing at it since they were six years old,” she said.
Outside of twirling, Maravillas’ hobbies include painting and ballet.
She is a communication and art design major, and some of her interests include traveling, meeting new people, eating at new restaurants, advertising and watching “Nip/Tuck.”
The University of Louisville marching band can be seen performing their pre-game and half time shows on Nov. 26 and at whatever bowl game U of L attends. Their show this year includes music from Ray Charles, featuring “Georgia on my Mind,” “Shake a Tail Feather,” “America the Beautiful,” “One Mint Julep” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”
If you watch for the sparkling batons twirling high into the air, you’ll see Jennifer Maravillas, doing her part to keep the crowd energized.
“I think it’s pretty amazing that Jennifer has been able to focus that much energy into one thing. While most college bands are busy finding several ‘okay’ twirlers, we have managed to find one outstanding one,” Brown said.
Maravillas celebrated her 22nd birthday on Nov. 11, the same day the University of Louisville football program defeated Rutgers 56-5.
