Hi there! My name is Melissa Brandle, but most just call me Brandle. I am originally from the Bay Are
a, where I’ve grown up surrounded by the buzzing entrepreneurial spirit that lays in the Silicon Valley (and not to mention surrounded by milk tea places on practically every corner– oh how I miss that!)
I just graduated from ASU with a degree in Marketing, and am now the Influencer Relationship Manager at August United, a Tempe-based influencer marketing agency.
I picked up a baton for the very first time in kindergarten, and competed in local, regional, and national competitions for 12 years. I was fortunate enough to also get the opportunity to compete in the 2010 Baton Twirling World Championships in Bergen, Norway, where I took home bronze medals in the pairs and team events. My proudest moments were seeing the USA flag rise during the awards ceremony while standing on the podium next to my beloved teammates.
When I entered college, I decided to take a break to focus on my studies and my career. During my junior and senior years, I became fascinated with electronic music, and kept on envisioning in my head epic baton routines to the songs I was listening to.
At the Phoenix Lights Festival in March 2016, I saw an LED baton fly high into the sky, and that second would forever change my life. I ran over to where the baton came down, and met LED staff spinners and hoopers from Desert Canvas. Everything in my head clicked, and I developed a desire to take my competition twirling background and bring it to EDM festivals, shows, and other performance-based events. So I picked up that my dusty batons from the closet that had been sitting there for 4 years untouched, and now I can’t twirling again. 🙂
Today, I twirl at the weekly All One Fest in Tempe, and twirl at other local events. I hope to continue to grow my performing experience, all while putting my own unique twist on flow arts.
Other things I love!
I enjoy long walks along Tempe Town Lake, hiking, bike riding, exploring new restaurants, rolling around grass, avocados, dark chocolate, reading, tea, and architecture.
