Veterans Day festivities in Washington included a taste of Bermuda this week with two majorette groups showing off their skills.

The Pembroke Hamilton Club Majorettes & Drum Corps and the Warwick United Majorettes & Drum Corps each took part in the 250th Veterans Day Parade and Field Show in the US capital.

Tawana Lee, the PHC Majorettes director, said the group received an invitation to perform at the event just days after taking part in the Bermuda Day Parade.

She explained: “Our summer was supposed to be spent planning our 25th anniversary, which is in 2027, but we decided we had to do both and we got started fundraising right away.”

She said that in addition to holding tag days to raise the money needed for the trip, the majorettes garnered support from the Bermuda Arts Council and CG Insurance.

Ms Lee said that a total of 33 performers travelled to Washington for the trip, and troupe members were praised for their friendliness as well as their baton skills.

On Saturday, the team took part in celebrations on the National Mall alongside dozens of other bands before visiting the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in their uniforms.

Ms Lee said: “Lots of people were very impressed with our performance and they asked us if we would be returning next year.”

The following day, the group took part in the parade down Constitution Avenue.

Ms Lee noted that the PHC Majorettes had taken part in a July 4 parade on the same street in 2012, but the experience this week was a new one for many of the team — some of whom were not even alive in 2012.

She said: “It was a great experience at the end of the day, especially for our younger ones to see the different bands and perform.”

Michee Barclay and Anneka Donowa, the director and co-director of Warwick United Majorettes and Drum Corps, said they were invited to perform after organisers saw video footage of the group on social media.

They added in a statement: “A delegation of 65 members and supporters, including 32 majorettes and 11 drummers, took part in the trip.

“In addition to performing, members visited historical landmarks, including the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr Memorial and the National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

“The visit also provided a valuable learning opportunity for younger members, who enjoyed watching larger marching bands and gaining inspiration from their performances.”

They thanked supporters and sponsors who helped make the trip a reality, adding that they are in discussions about returning to the US to perform in Philadelphia next year.

The group said they are also looking to recruit new majorettes and drummers, with registration scheduled to start in January. Anyone interested was invited to e-mail warwickunited1975@gmail.com.