If you are familiar with Color Guard then you have probably admired the extra style, flare, and color they provide to our Marching Band performances. Their movement and expert flag-tossing give an added element of excitement to every halftime show and competition.
But when football season is over and Marching Band Members move on to Symphonic or Jazz band what do the members of the Color Guard do to occupy their time?
Well, the answer is they can join Winter Guard!
These shows can be so much fun to watch. The members of our three teams put in a lot of hard work and dedication to learn these routines that can be very technically challenging and difficult to perform. They work tirelessly to learn new skills and practice their synchronization so that they can put on a good show for you and be competitive against other color guard teams.
The performances usually last between 3 to 7 minutes which may not seem like a long time, but it takes a lot of practice and effort to make sure all the movements are in sync and perfect. Winter Guard performances are methodically planned out down to the second and need to be executed with exactness to get the full effect of the show.
Reagan Winter Guard competes in the Texas Color Guard Circuit and Winter Guard International competitions. They do this regionally against other schools who have teams in their area, or they may compete on a national level. 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). Performances incorporate equipment, props, and dance moves.
The Reagan Winter Guard is composed of 2 or 3 competing ensembles – Varsity, JVA and optionally JVB. All the groups enjoy performing at state and national competitions.
The groups are decided based on auditions occurring at the end of the Fall Semester. Students are then placed in corresponding groups in their class schedule to practice and learn new skills, as well as, attend rehearsals before and after school.
Sign up for Winter Guard on your course selection card at the end of the Fall semester. Attend mandatory auditions in December, receive placement in one of the 3 competitive winter guards. Be on the lookout for program information from the Reagan Guard Directors regarding rehearsals and calendar dates for competitions. Follow @reaganguard on Instagram! Reach out to guard.director@reaganband.com if you have questions.
