If you've ever seen a marching half time show, a winterguard show is that, but without the musicians. Winterguard consists of a colorguard, usually made up from about 20-40 performers, who design their show on a basketball court sized tarp. Because of the lack of live musicians, the show is set to a piece of music that is played via cd or mp3 player. This allows for any type of music to be used. Like figure skating, this is a competitive activity, where each guard is marked by a set of judges, and trophies are rewarded to the highest scoring groups.
Winterguard, like marching band, blurs the line between performance and sport. A performer in guard is required to be in outstanding physical shape, while the same time, required to be able to convey a wide array of emotions through their work. Shows are graded both on artistry and precision. It's competitive, yet it serves to send a message to the viewer.
This past Saturday I attended the WGI West Power Regional Prelims at CSU San Bernadino with a couple of my friends. I used to go to shows often in high school, mainly because my friends had friends in the guards and I would tag along with them. Now, not having been since graduating, I was able to go just for the sake of enjoying the performances. I was glad to see that the art of winterguard is not only still alive, but improving. The one that stood out for me the most was performed by the "Fantasia" group. Their show centered around a white table, and seemed to me about life and death. The fact that they caught every rifle toss and performed each choreographed move with precision allowed me to focus on what the show was trying to tell me. I was pulled into the story of the performance and felt truly moved by the end. It was simply awe-inspiring; I don't really know how else to describe it.
This was a fun night out an a nice change of pace from what I typically do on Saturday nights. I'm glad to see this sport is still alive and will probably try to go to shows more often.
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