Winter guard
Winter guard (sometimes spelled "winterguard") is an indoor color guard sport and performance art derived from military ceremonies.[1] Modern winter guard is a competitive, performance-based activity which incorporates choreographed staging, dance, and manipulation of equipment such as flags, prop rifles, and sabers (also known as "spinning"). Unlike traditional color guard, winter guard performances and contests are held indoors, usually in a gymnasium or an indoor arena. Performances typically last three to seven minutes[2] and are generally accompanied by recorded soundtracks rather than live music. However, the use of live instrumentation (acoustic and electronic) and vocalization have grown in popularity. Winter guard is most present in the United States; independent units have also been formed in Canada,[3] the Netherlands, the United Kingdom,[4] and Japan. Winter guard ensembles often perform at judged competitions officiated by local and regional associations using criteria developed by Winter Guard International, host of the annual Winter Guard International World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.[5] The World Championships event purportedly attracts in 60,000 visitors to the event annually.[6] Scoring attempts to rank units on the repertoire and achievement of aspects of each performance such as unity, quality, range, precision, skill, design, and effect.[7]
This article is about indoor color guard. For the comic book characters, see Winter Guard.Team roles[edit]
A winter guard generally consists of performing members under the direction of instructional staff. The staff of a winter guard team are drawn from many different specialties, which sometimes overlap: there are equipment instructors (sometimes one for the unit, sometimes broken out into the individual sections), dance instructors, and drill instructors. The equipment instructors create the choreography performed with equipment and teach it to the guard. The dance instructors create and teach the movement choreography in the show. The drill instructors focus on the position of the guard members relative to one another and to the boundaries of the performance area, in addition to where each member goes at which specific time during the performance. In some cases, all of these roles are fulfilled by one sole director.
A winter guard team usually has one or multiple captains or student leaders who serve as leaders as well as performing members.[8] The captain may assume minor administrative duties and lead the team when instructors are not available. The captain is also the representative of the guard during awards ceremonies.
Most regional color guard circuits adopt the minimum and maximum performer requirements set by WGI, which varies by division. The Independent World classification has no maximum number of performers.
Performance conventions[edit]
The duration of winter guard shows depends on the class in which the guard is performing. In competition settings, each winter guard team is allotted a set amount of time to set up staging (including a vinyl floor if the guard is using one, and any props associated with the performance), place all equipment, perform the show, and remove staging, props, and equipment. Setup and tear-down typically run two minutes each, and performances run around five minutes. Judges impose penalties on teams that run past the allotted time.
Unlike traditional color guard teams, which perform outdoors on a football field or parade route accompanied by a marching band or drum corps, winter guard teams perform indoors to recorded music.
In competitions, winter guard teams are judged in the areas of talent, precision, creativity, and horizontal orchestration (how all the elements create the larger picture/effect).[9] Performances incorporate equipment, props, and dance moves.
Judges must keep a running commentary on a tape recorder or digital recorder. The judges record the score on a designated sheet to be reviewed by the individual guard instructor(s). After every one in a class has competed and their scores have been tallied, if the instructor(s) so choose they may meet with all the judges to discuss in depth why they received the score they did, ways to improve, what they are doing right etc. The goal of all parties involved, is to have the performers, staff, and the programs grow and learn.
Dance[edit]
Guard members incorporate many different styles of dance into their shows. The most common styles of dance used are modern, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and ballet. The different styles of dances are chosen depending on the different types of music chosen and the themes of the shows. Dance is incorporated into the show to complement equipment work and drill, and is performed as seamlessly throughout the show as any other movements.
Winter Guard International[edit]
Winter Guard International is not only a national competition but it is also an organization that has been around for many years. Unlike other traditional sports, the rules and regulations have been changed and altered many times since the activity has started. There are judges who judge separate elements of a show – such as general effect, movement, equipment, and penalty points – and score the groups accordingly.
Because this activity not only exists in the United States but all around the world, major competitions worldwide are sanctioned and managed by Winter Guard International. This is the governing organization that makes and changes the rules and regulations for this activity. The rules that are written by WGI apply to every winter guard group competing in the World Championships no matter what country they are from. The World Championships are held every year in the United States. Most recently they have been held at the
University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio with some prelims and semi-finals held elsewhere around the Dayton area and Cincinnati area.
The phrase "Sport of the Arts" is frequently associated with WGI. Winter guard is described by saying "it brings music to life through performance in a competitive format."
Divisions and classes[edit]
Because not every color guard has the same skill level, population, or resources available, WGI uses a class division system to help remedy this. There are two divisions, Scholastic and Independent. These divisions include the classes (in descending order) Independent: Independent World Class, Independent Open Class, Independent A Class. Scholastic: Scholastic World, Scholastic Open, Scholastic National A Class, Scholastic Regional A, AA, and AAA. Novice Class and Cadet Class.
Guard teams can be chosen to move to a higher class, but they can only move down a class after a period of inactivity or after a WGI review. For every competition, any team which achieves a score higher than a predetermined threshold is automatically moved up, or "bumped", to the class above its current position, even mid-season.
The Scholastic division is made up of guards that have members that all attend the same high school or a feeder school of that high school. There are many colleges and universities that sponsor their own winter guards as well, but these guards typically compete as Independent guards. Scholastic guards vary greatly in their ability and resources because they are more dependent on support from sources other than the members themselves, such as their school's band and school funding.
In the Scholastic division, there are three classes: Scholastic A, Scholastic Open, and Scholastic World. More divisions may exist at the local/regional level, such as Regional A, or Novice. In many places there is also a middle school class, often called Cadet. Scholastic A teams tend to be a step above the regional level and are the lowest level to compete in WGI. Scholastic Open teams are an intermediate level for competition. The Scholastic World division includes the highest caliber of winter guard teams.
The Independent division is composed of winter guard teams that do not associate themselves with a school (the exception being university teams). Additionally, these kinds of guards can be much more selective of their members, choosing to be gender-specific or to only have certain numbers of members.
In the Independent division, much like the Scholastic division, there are the three classes: Independent A, Independent Open and Independent World. The breakdown of skill level and placement mirrors that of the Scholastic division. There are age restrictions in the Independent A and Open classes. A member can perform with an Independent A class group if they are 22 or younger as of March 31 of that year. A member can perform with an Independent Open class group if they are 23 or younger as of March 31 of that year.
Winter guard circuits[edit]
Although the goal of many winter guards is to compete in the WGI World Championships, most guard competitions take place in regional winter guard circuits. One such circuit is the Mid-York Colorguard Circuit, established in 1965. Another is the AIA circuit, or Atlantic Indoor Association circuit in which teams across Virginia, Washington D.C., and North Carolina participate. These circuits are loosely organized and may not be formally affiliated with WGI. In many cases the circuits predate WGI by a number of years. For example, the Midwest Color Guard Circuit celebrated their 50th anniversary season in 2007.[15] They may also have different competitive structures with additional classes to those in WGI. Circuit classes often will include beginner or novice guards such as Cadet, Novice, B, Regional AAA, Regional AA, Regional A, Regional Open, and Senior. Circuits generally score using WGI standards and judges whether they are formally affiliated with WGI or not.
In addition, the winter guard activity is growing outside of the United States. In Europe, Color Guard Nederland (Netherlands) (CGN) and Winter Guard United Kingdom (WGUK) have recently affiliated with organizations from France and Germany to form the European Indoor Arts Alliance (EIAA) with the goal of creating a European Union-wide platform for the growth of the color guard activity in Europe, where the scholastic branch of the activity does not exist.
In film and television[edit]
"On Guard: A Story of American Youth[16][17]"[18][19][20][21] is 2023 documentary film directed by Allen Otto and executive produced by Jim Czarnecki. The film follows the journey of an all-female color guard team at Bel Air High School whose goal is to qualify for the 2020 WGI World Championships, which were ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a performance dedicated to the victims of the 2019 El Paso Shooting.[22]
Contemporary Color is a 2016 documentary film directed by Turner Ross and Bill Ross IV featuring the performances of winter guard teams. The film was produced as a collaboration between David Byrne, Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey and Josh Penn.
Credits
Winter Guard International (WGI) official website
South Florida Winter Guard Association (SFWGA) official website
Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit (FFCC) official website
Winter Guard Association of Southern California (WGASC) official website
CGN - Color Guard Nederland
WGUK - Winter Guard UK
Colorguard Historical Society (CGHS) website
Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) website
Ohio Indoor Performance Association (OIPA) website
Mid-York Color Guard Circuit (MYCGC) website
Northeast Color Guard Circuit (NECGC) website
Michigan Color Guard Circuit (MCGC) website
Mid-Atlantic Indoor Network (MAIN) website
New England Scholastic Band Association (NESBA) website
Southern Association for performance arts
Midwest Color Guard Circuit
Southeastern Colorguard Circuit
Eastern Massachusetts Drum and Bugle Corps Association*
Keystone Indoor Drill Association - MD & PA
North Texas Colorguard Association (NTCA) website
Northwest Pageantry Association (NWPA) website
Sample Winterguard movement (Youtube)
Rocky Mountain Color Guard
Ohio Circuit