Shirlee Bertolini

Shirlee Bertolini is the "Grande Dame" of the Arizona Band, having been associated with the program for over 50 years. She came to The University of Arizona from Detroit, Michigan in 1954 to become the first featured twirler at the U of A. Before coming to Arizona, she was Michigan State and National Twirling Champion from 1953-54.

After her reign as featured twirler at The University of Arizona, Mrs. Bertolini became Twirling Coach and increased the number of twirlers to seven, each girl wearing a breast plate spelling A-R-I-Z-O-N-A. After several years of a team of seven twirlers, the band went to a new concept of increasing the number of twirlers. Today the team consists of 20 state and national champions recruited by Mrs. Bertolini each year. She travels thousands of miles each year looking for twirlers, and her National Baton Twirling Judging assignments allow her the opportunity to choose the "cream of the crop" both nationally and abroad.

Her career to date has produced many state and national champions plus the Equestrian Twirlers who for ten years perform in the famous La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Parade on horseback. Mrs. Bertolini has taught twirling throughout the 50 states and 17 foreign countries. She is still actively teaching, judging, and coaching.