No days off: From color guard to winter guard
April 19, 2023
Despite being an iconic part of the high school football season’s halftime performances, color guard is a style of dance that is often overlooked in the world of performance art. Unlike other styles of dance such as drill, ballet, and hip-hop, which perform the same types of routines year-round, color guard dancers typically perform with the marching band during the fall season and transition to winter guard in the off-season. It takes months of training and dedication to excel in both seasons.
Four-year color guard/winter guard veteran Inashia Joseph, 12, has dedicated her time to both disciplines, but has found that wintertime performances hold a special place in her heart.
“I love winter guard more than marching season, just because you don’t
have the wind and marching,” Joseph said. “Another reason I love it is because we have a snow cone company that comes out called ‘Rita’s Ice’ at all of our competitions.”
Beyond the perks that come with the winter season, such as post-performance sno-cones and avoiding the outdoor elements, winter guard also allows for more bonding between dancers.
“Even though we are in varsity or JV groups, we still sit on the bus together and eat together,” Joseph said. “It’s just an amazing experience.”
Each season, color guard director Emily Strother picks a theme for each of the varsity and JV teams’ winter shows. Not only do the themes differ between each division, but they are also distinct from the seasons before.
“Every show is different from the last,” captain Alyson Pierson, 12, said. “You start learning how to do new tricks and tosses, no matter what it is. You’re always going. You’re always learning how to better yourself.”
Color guard try outs typically do not bring in the numbers that the drill teams’ and cheer squads’ tryouts do. For Mya Crook, 11, the small tryout cohort piqued her interest.
“Not everyone wanted to try out, so it intrigued me,” Crook said. “It is also something that I found challenging and in the challenge, I learned to love it.”
In any extracurricular activity, students must keep up with their grades. Hours spent in practice can eat into the time a performer has to work on their school work.
“The grade checks are what have really shaped my high school experience,” Crook said. “If you can’t pass, you can’t perform. In my freshman year, my grades were not that good, so I did miss a few performances, which made me sad.”
Though the seasons are split between fall and winter, the training is year-round. These ladies and gentlemen can be found practicing their flag, saber, and rifle tricks during the 2A block. However, Pearson finds their practice location somewhat stifling.
“I just wish we had more space to do what we are able to do,” Pearson said. “I feel like we’re very limited. We practice in the Commons and we have to put up all the tables and chairs every time. I wish we were more well-known.”
Performance schedules and tryout information can be found on the team’s Instagram account, @bwell.colorguard.