When Kidist “Pinky” Emery puts on her majorette uniform and steps out on parade, she can still hear the voices of the women who taught her to march as a little girl.

“The minute I start marching, I can still hear Aunt June and Aunt Matika, our founding leaders, in the back of my head: ‘Lift your legs! Smile! Twirl! Stay in your lines!’”

It's a side of the well-known hairstylist and Salon Pink owner that might surprise those who only know her from Bermuda's beauty industry.

“I'm a majorette! I was a member of Warwick United Majorettes and Drum Corps growing up and I've recently returned to marching and performing with the organisation.”

Her fascination began as a young girl watching Bermuda's parades.

“I remember watching the majorettes in the parade as a young girl and being completely fascinated by their elegance, the baton twirling and the way they moved together in formation. I thought, ‘Oh my God, I want to do that!’”

The experience taught her far more than baton twirling.

“It introduced me to discipline, co-ordination, perseverance, teamwork and sisterhood. I built friendships through the majorettes that I still have today. Fun fact: I met the graphic designer for Salon Pink through the majorettes and we're still close all these years later.”

Some of her fondest memories involve the excitement surrounding the uniforms, particularly the annual reveal of their colours for the May 24 parade.

“My very first uniform was lime green and silver, covered in beautiful sequins, with our signature stars and matching gloves. I thought it was amazing. Back then, we didn't have smartphones or social media, so keeping the colours a secret was much easier.”

Although she eventually stepped away from marching, the desire to return never disappeared.

“Over the years, whenever I watched the parade, I would think about how lovely it would be to get involved again.”

Then a friend reminded her that between running Salon Pink and raising her son, she needed something just for herself.

Around the same time, Warwick United Majorettes was celebrating its 50th anniversary. Ms Emery and several former members returned, joined the committee and began supporting taking the organisation forward.

“I thought it would be for one year. Two years later, here we are!” she laughs.

Now a registered charity, the organisation has given her an opportunity to help preserve a Bermudian tradition.

“The majorettes teach so much more than baton twirling. There's discipline, elegance, teamwork, sisterhood and pride in how you carry yourself.”

For Ms Emery, the connection between her childhood passion and professional life is unmistakable.

“When you're marching in formation, your lines must be straight in every direction, in front of you, behind you, and to your left and right. Everyone has a responsibility to maintain that formation.

“We had a saying growing up: ‘Follow your leader off the cliff! Essentially, if your leader moves, you move, because everyone must work together to keep the formation.”

Those lessons have stayed with her as a business owner.

“It taught me early on that there's no ‘I’ in team. You can't just do your own thing because your actions affect everyone around you. I genuinely believe that when one of us wins, we all win. And that's something I try to carry into the way I lead today.”

But marching also provides an escape from her responsibilities.

“For those moments, I'm not thinking about Salon Pink, meetings or my never-ending to-do list. I'm simply enjoying being a majorette!”

And she admits, making time for training isn't always easy.

“There are weeks when getting to training feels like another thing on that list. But then we have a parade or a performance and I'm reminded exactly why I do it. It's always worth it in the end.”

Away from the salon, Ms Emery describes herself as “Positive Patsy”, a natural connector and enthusiastic cheerleader for her friends.

“I'm a glass-half-full kind of girl, sometimes to the frustration of my friends and family, who must remind me that they don't always need my positivity. Sometimes they just want me to listen.”

And when parade day arrives, the excitement returns.

“I absolutely love parades! There's something about putting on that uniform, hearing the music and stepping out in formation that brings me so much joy.”