A little Background
For those of you who don't know, Colorguard, sometimes referred to as Flag Corps or Silk Line, is an activity I would relate to drill team and baton twirling. Except the level of actual dancing and stepping varies from guard to guard, and many insist that working with a flag is not twirling but spinning.
Typically girls and guys spin equipment ranging from about 3-10 feet. (Though there's not much spinning action involved with those big ones!) They use chain flags, T-poles, swing flags, fiberglass, metal, or plastic poles, and sometimes PVC piping or "bungee" poles, as well as hoops, ribbons, and many advanced guards even incorporate sabres and rifles into their shows.
Colorguard, more specifically, refers to the auxillary unit of a marching band or drum corps that performs at halftime and in parades. It's definitely a summer-fall thing.
Winterguard, on the other hand, is a late fall-winter-early spring activity that takes the routines indoors. Winterguard incorporates lots of dance to all kinds of music and is almost always done for competitions. It's a LOT of work. I've even heard of pyrotechnics being invovled in some shows! They can be independent or school-related, and usually Colorguard and Winterguard seasons overlap, making it difficult if not impossible for one person to do both.
My high school incorporated some of the best of both worlds. When you try out for the Colorguard and if you make Silk Line, not only do you do the whole football season and parades, but you are also eligible to participate in spring competition. It wasn't exactly like a winterguard. Practice for spring didn't even begin until January or February, and we only competed in one show as opposed to going through a circuit, like WGI (Winterguard Inernational). I went to competition my junior and senior year, and we spun to To Love You More by Celine Dion and Bad Day by Fuel, respectively. Both years we came just shy of earning a superior, the highest rating. :'-( But we still did a very good job! |
