HOUSTON – Crystal Evans is an elementary school dance teacher in HISD.
Four years ago she started an after school twirling club.
“The reason I started the team is because I’m all about girl power. I wanted to mentor girls, I wanted to be there, I’m like a mom to them. I have like 21 kids,” said Evans.
Evans has been twirling since she was 7 years old and knew it was a sport that could have a positive impact.
What she didn’t expect was just how competitive her team would become.
Shortly after starting the club she took her girls to a competition. Her intent was to simply introduce them to how it worked but in a last minute decision she entered her team, and they won. She credits their success in part to their unique style.
“We’re from Sunnyside which is right there in your 3rd Ward and these girls have different background than a lot of the other girls,” said Evans.
It’s the element of staying true to themselves which helped garner national attention about a year ago.
“A production company from New York reached out to me, and first I was iffy, I was like ‘This isn’t real. Not little old me, teacher trying to be on TV.’ They fell in love with my girls just like everybody else does and they filmed us for about seven months,” said Evans. “It’s really nothing that we ever imagined, at all.”
Now several championships and Junior Olympic medals later, the team will make their cable debut tonight on TLC.
“I never went into it for recognition or to be on TV. It was to mold these little girls and teach them how to twirl. My hope is that everyone sees it and sees what an amazing sport it is and then everybody wants to start twirling,” said Evans.