Q. What is Color Guard?
A. Modern color guard has evolved over the years into a form of dance theater that uses props along with movement to express dynamic passages in the music accompanying the show. Modern color guards use flags, sabres, rifles, and occasionally other equipment, as well as a mix of ballet, jazz, modern, and contemporary modern dance. Traditional color guard first began during the English reign around the same time of the American Revolution. A band would accompany the soldiers to play music to keep their spirits up and to keep them in beat. Along with the band, they also had a soldier holding a flag with their colors on it.
Colorguards can be found in most colleges, universities, high schools, middle schools, and independent drum corps. Members of colorguard teams march along with their fellow marching band members. Today the guard uses choreography and equipment for added visual appeal during a marching band show. Usually marching bands and color guards perform during football games at halftime, out of tradition. When in competition, the colorguard is judged in the captions general effect, movement, ensemble analysis, and equipment. During a competition the guard adds to the overall score of the band, but is also judged in its own category. Colorguard has been considered to be both an athletic competition and an art.
In a marching band or a drum & bugle corps, the colorguard is a non-musical section that provides additional visual aspects to the performance. The marching band and colorguard performance generally takes place on a football field while the colorguard interprets the music that the marching band or drum & bugle corps is playing via the synchronized spinning of flags, sabers, rifles, or other pieces of equipment, or through dance. The colorguard uses different colors and styles of flags to enhance the visual effect of the marching band as a whole. The number of members in a colorguard can vary- some only having a few members while others may have 25 or more.
Q. Do Color Guard members have to be enrolled in Band?
A. Guard members are a part of the HHS Band Organization and thus must be enrolled in a band class in the fall. Field guard members are required to attend rehearsals in the summer and fall as well as band camp.
Q. Are there any costs associated with the Color Guard Program?
A. Uniforms, warm-ups, and other equipment must be purchased individually each year-- fundraisers are available to help offset this cost.
Q. I am interested in Color Guard but have no experience. How do I audition?
A. Auditions for field guard are held in the spring. HHS hosts clinics every year inviting other guards in the area. It is encouraged that all those interested in guard attend these clinics. Rehearsals will be held in the weeks prior to auditions for prospective members to learn flag fundamentals, movement techniques, and a short dance/ flag routine. No previous guard or dance experience is required.
