Meet The Coaches
Linda Alford
Director and Coach
Linda developed a passion for baton twirl at the age of 12. She was a member of the Bladettes. This Corps won the National Championship in 1964 at the New York’s Worlds’ Fair. She started the DYNAMICS in 1975. Their first performance was in a Bi-Centennial parade on the 4th of July, 1976. Besides parades, The Dynamics competed locally in CAMA (Capital Area Marching Association), winning many Championship titles.In 1988, The Dynamics won their first National Team title, NBTA Tiny Tot Small Grand National Dance Twirl Team. In 1993, The Dynamics won their first World Title in Marseilles, France, by capturing the Senior Dance-Twirl Team gold medal at the NBTA World Championships. This team continued to win 11 additional World Titles and produce a number of individual National and World Champions.
In addition to being the Coach of a National and World acclaimed team, Linda also had 3 daughters; Deena, Stacey and Kristi. Among the girls, they claimed many National and World Championships, including:
- Five Miss Majorettes of America
- Two Grand National Twirling Championships
- One Little Big One
- Many World Open events at AYOP Nationals at Notre Dame
Linda's granddaughter, Kaitlyn Boyer, continued the family tradition as a member of the team. She competed in her first World Championships in Belgium in the Preteen Duet Division, winning the Gold Medal with her partner and teammate Briana Rohrer. She continued to win other National and World titles, as well as twirling for the Marching Virginians, at Virginia Tech University.Kaitlyn is the current Co-Director of “The DYNAMICS”, and is preparing the Team to compete in the 2025 World Championships in Torino, Italy, in August, 2025.
Stacey Alford Boyer
Coach
Stacey is also a former Miss Majorette of America. She won the Juvenile division in 1982 and before that, was the Tiny Tot Grand National Twirling Champion in 1979. During her career, she also was the Congressional Cup champion, showing her talent by winning a title usually held by older twirlers. She retired from twirling at a young age but returned in 2003 when daughter, Kaitlyn, found her desire to twirl. Stacey works with many of the younger Dynamic members as their individual coach. Her success in coaching has been marked with many students winning regional and state titles as well as multiple Beginner and Intermediate pageant winners at Nationals. In addition to coaching, Stacey is a special education teacher in Howard County Public Schools.
Kristi Alford Taylor
Choreographer
Kristi is the youngest Alford daughter and continues to choreograph and coach both in-person and virtually. She is a former Miss Majorette of America and World Champion in both team and duet. Her strong dance background led to competing with the Towson University Dance Team; winning the Division I National championships. Kristi then took her career to the big stage where she performed professionally as a member of Blast II. It was a dream come true to be able to share her passion for baton twirling and dance in Disney World and during the US Tour and Broadway in London. Next in her career, Kristi competed and was awarded Top Instructor for Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Her successes and extensive background, makes her an asset as one of The Dynamics choreographers and coaches.
Mark Nash
Choreographer
Mark was both a professional dancer for Dayton Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Ballet West, and an 8-time Men’s World Baton Twirling Champion. He enjoys choreography, has won the Josephine-Hermene Schwartz award, and has been commissioned for works for several professional and pre-professional organizations around the globe! He also teaches local, national and international master classes in dance, Acro and twirling. Mark is certified for all levels within the Acrobatic Arts syllabus, has his Acro Adjudicator certification, and is also a USTA and WBTF certified Master judge. Through all of this, Mark has continued his dance education, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance as well as Master’s degrees in arts administration and business administration from the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He values learning and has earned credentials from many of the dance industry’s most respected organizations, including Progressive Ballet Technique and CLI Studios (for whom he has also taught). Within the last few years, Mark has coached teams that were selected to be part of Team USA at both WBTF and IBTF World Championships. Mark has been choreographing for the Dynamics since 2021.
Kathy Forsythe
Choreographer
Kathy Forsythe is from Seattle, Washington. With her expertise in USTA, she is our choreographer coach for our USTA events as well as multiple baton events. Kathy has coached both individuals and teams to the world level and has had countless students become national holders. In addition to coaching, Kathy is involved in other areas of twirling, presenting at various professional development sessions and previously serving as the Executive Director of USTA. Kathy became a Washington Huskies football fan as feature twirler at the University of Washington and continues to work with the features twirlers at the school today.
Kaitlyn Boyer
Co-Director, Choreographer, Coach
Kaitlyn is Linda's granddaughter and started twirling in 2003 when she joined the family team. As a member, she won three gold medals and one silver medal at the 2009, 2012 and 2015 World Championships. Throughout her career she also won numerous state, regional and national titles. Kaitlyn was honored to be selected to be a Peru twirling ambassador and received the opportunity to travel to Peru to perform. Kaitlyn went to Virginia Tech and was a feature twirler with the Marching Virginians throughout her time there. She earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and completed her orthopedic residency at the Ironman Sports Medicine Institute in Houston, TX. After completing school, Kaitlyn combined her two passions of physical therapy and baton twirling by creating a business called @Dr.Twirlz, which strives to reduce injuries in baton twirlers and artistic sport athletes. Kaitlyn moved back to MD in 2022 to help the next generation of twirlers. In her recent years coaching, she has had multiple national, state, and regional champions amongst her students as well as a Miss Majorette of America and Grand National Twirling Champion. She currently is an active NBTA judge, USTA level I coach, and Co-Director of the team.
Karilee Schmitt
Coach
Karilee grew up as a member of the Dynamics, joining the team in 1991. She is the 2005 College Miss Majorette of the Mid-Atlantic and former Junior and Senior Regional Solo Champion. With her sister and duet partner, Kaytlyn, Karilee is the 2006 Senior Duet National Champion. With the team, Karilee won numerous national titles and seven gold medals at the WFNBTA World Championships in 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009. While a member of the team, Karilee received a degree in Secondary Math Education from the University of Maryland and a Masters in Education from George Mason. She is the Division Leader for Math and Computer Science at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County and club sponsor of the color guard there, having coached the group for many years. After a wonderful nationals with the Dynamics Senior Team in 2009, Karilee moved on to the next phase of her twirling career with the team as a coach, accompanying them to multiple world contests. Karilee has also coached members of the team individually to state, regional, and national titles, including former Little Miss Majorette of America. Karilee is an NBTA certified judge, USTA Level II judge, and USTA Level I Coach.
Robin Schmitt
Treasurer and Coach
Robin has lots of contributing roles in the Dynamic family. She keeps things running as treasurer and secretary for the team. To call her our “go to” person is putting it mildly. Robin was a feature twirler at the University of Maryland and director of a former C.A.M.A. corps. However, her proudest role is undoubtedly, baton-mom. Robin is mom to Karilee and Kaytlyn, both Dynamics, Team USA members, and world champions. Robin coaches the Dynamics “babies”, enjoys working with the younger members of the team, and keeps things running smoothly.
Paige Dutrow
Coach
Paige began twirling at the age of five and joined the Dynamics in 2010. With the Dynamics, she was a member of numerous national champion team routines, in both NBTA and USTA. She and the Senior Dance Twirl Team competed internationally at the 2019 IBTF Grand Prix in Limoges, France. Individually, Paige won several regional and state titles. She was the 2011 Intermediate Senior AYOP pageant winner, won the strut portion of the 2012 Teenage Miss Majorette of America pageant, and qualified in Adult Level A X-Strut for the 2023 IBTF Nation's Cup. After over 20 years of twirling, Paige began coaching with the Dynamics in 2022.