Color Guard is the use of flags, sabers, rifles and other equipment as well as dance and other interpretive movement that is performed outdoors and indoors. While Winterguard is similar to Color Guard, it is usually only performed indoors. Here at Athens Drive we have Winter and Color Guard teams.
There are two levels of classification for both groups, independent and scholastic. Independent is when that group is funded by someone and is self-organized, which is usually linked to college programs. Scholastic is more of a high school level where they compete for a school.
Winterguard and Colorguard help tell the story of the music the marching band plays. The “flag change” between each song or set is very important to the whole performance because it helps the audience to understand the setting and tone of the music when the song is changed between sets.
“The outfit changes help catch the eye of the audience while also enhancing the story of the music,” said Shunquell Dennis, Odyssey Publisher. The Color Guard did start as a performance for and by the Military and both men and women could participate. The soldiers who make up an installation’s Color Guard play a pivotal role in honoring tradition and paying respect to those serving, both present and past, in the Armed Forces. The Winter Guard International (WGI), is a visual performing arts organization that hosts regional and national competitions for Color and Winter Guard. Winter Guard and Color Guard have become widely known and very popular in high schools and colleges all over the world.
Athens Drive Competitions are scored based on creativity and skill. Since Athens’ colorguard is a scholastic ensemble they are not judged as harshly on properly prepared equipment, overweight or unsafe props, etc. but more on the creativity and time management of their performance.
“We compete starting in Feb. and have championships in early April”, says Janie Pannill freshmen. This year the Athens Guard was advanced to a higher class and finished the season middle of the pack. Color guard is a fun and active sport but there are some challenges that the the performers face.
“My biggest challenge was doing things in time with everyone one else. Timing is super important”, says Pannill freshmen. The challenges are not all so stressful, but require being able to prepare oneself in difficult situations. For example, if a person’s makeup is not done in time for a competition it will have to be done on the bus which could be really difficult. There is being awake at weird hours of the day because early competitions that have one getting ready at two in the morning. Sometimes rewriting a new routine right before the performance is common due to the band director wanting to change course with the music so if their dance does not help tell a story or go with it, the choreography is useless to the show.
