On game day mornings, students walk in and are greeted by the band playing music to hype up students and staff, but who are the people dancing next to them?
The marching band Color Guard is a combination of dance and equipment work, which includes flags and rifles. Color Guard interprets the band’s music, serves as the visuals on the field, and conveys a mood or a story.
“Color Guard is an art form and a sport that involves many things,” said junior Color Guard co-captain Ivan Mcdonald, “but primarily dance and flag and combining the two. ROTC is more military-affiliated, and they don’t use flags and weapons the same way we do.”
Marching band Color Guard and ROTC Color Guard are often confused. The ROTC Color Guard is responsible for presenting and carrying the U.S. flag, along with other organizational flags, during official ceremonies and events. However, the marching band Color Guard is much more art, dance, and music based.
“Marching band Color Guard is performing,” said senior Emma Howard. “We do shows, dance for school events, and are the visuals of marching band. ROTC Color Guard presents our nation’s colors through tradition and honor. It is a lot more precise and full of military structure.”
A normal day of Marching Band Color Guard practice includes dance and flag work before they even join the rest of the band on the field to do practice runs of their show.
“A day of practice looks like stretches, body warm-ups, and flag warm-ups,” said Mcdonald. “Then we move into full band and do runs of the show.”
Color Guard and marching band can be just as challenging as any sport. They fill a unique niche as both a sport and an art form, mixing athleticism with artistry and dance.
“It’s a lot of fun!” said Howard. “But it also requires hard work and practice. It definitely helps to be physically active beforehand.”
The Marching Sundevils recently participated in their first competition at Princess Anne. It is their first time competing with a guard of 19, the largest it has ever been.
“I was really scared because it is my first year being captain,” said Mcdonald. “And I had no idea what to expect, having the largest guard in the city.”
This year’s theme for the marching band is “Cirque Du Freak,” based on a book of the same name. The story follows two kids who stumble upon a travelling circus, including acrobats, clowns, a strongwoman, a fortune teller, and many more. The Guard tells the story of the show, with different movements highlighting key events of the story. The intro represents the kids’ first step into the circus, and the ballad contains a costume change, signifying the kids joining the circus.
“I love the theme of it being a circus too, because I love clowns and circus stuff,” said junior Violet Warren.
This year’s Color Guard is the most ambitious yet. For those interested in joining, there will be an interest meeting held in May.
