Independence Winterguard wins first in class at state championship—third overall in Virginia
The Independence Winterguard poses after winning first place in their class at the AIA Championship in Hampton, Virginia. (Kelly Barclay holds the certificate at center and to the right of her is Mrs. Talitha Harrington).
On April 2, the Independence Winter Guard won first place in their class at the Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) color guard championship that took place in Hampton, Virginia. Their show, titled “Dear Diary,” led them to achieve third place in the state among nearly 70 attending color guards. Having been the Independence Guard’s second year since Independence’s opening, the guard achieved this incredible feat against programs from across Virginia, many of which are prominently established.
For the guard, winning first place in their class in any competition means that they are promoted to the next highest class. Preceding their championship at Hampton, the Independence Guard had won first place in all competitions except one, which propelled them from SRA2 (Scholastic Regional Class A2) in the start of their season to SA2 (Scholastic Class A2) by the end. Following their first place win at Hampton, the guard will be promoted to the highest class in Virginia—SA1—and will start next year’s season competing among the most competitive color guards in the state.
Junior Kelly Barclay, co-captain of the Independence Guard describes, “[Next season], we will be up against the most hardworking groups. I think that means we’ll have to push ourselves, but we’ll still be able to have fun.”
For those unfamiliar with color guard, the art uses flags, sabers and rifles, incorporated with choreography meant to go along with music. The dance style is contemporary, and guard members also perform acrobatics throughout the show.
In the guard’s show, “Dear Diary,” both the flags and the uniforms are adjacent with the theme, displaying intricate designs that appear in streaks of color across the tarp. Generally, the equipment and technique is integral with the theme of a guard show, and “Dear Diary” is no exception.
The theme of “Dear Diary” reflects on the life and emotions of an average high school student. The show revolves around a voiceover, meant to be the diary of a teenager. Throughout the show, audiences are given a glimpse into various diary entries, such as this quote, taken directly from the show: “Dear diary, today was a long day.”
“Dear diary, I think I’m gonna try out this thing called color guard, but I’m scared that those swords might cut me.” The show takes viewers through a rollercoaster of reluctance, success, loneliness and friendship. Even for those who have not been a part of color guard before, the show offers familiar themes for all audiences—a performer, a judge, or even a parent.
Regarding the inspiration for “Dear Diary,” Mrs. Talitha Harrington explains, “I really wanted to find a show that they could relate to, and so that also makes it easier for the members to perform.” Harrington is the sole director and choreographer of the show, and has been working with the guard since the program started in 2019. Harrington further expresses her thought process when creating the show, saying that “a lot of the members keep journals and diaries to write down their thoughts, so I was like, “What is something that matches their age and reflects their time in school?’”
In synthesis with the show’s theme, Dear Diary incorporates the skill and hard work of 16 guard members to put a touching performance forward. Barclay describes, “We have these two lines at some point in the show that kind of represent the lines in a notebook. And, in the beginning, we have the one line that slowly starts to dissipate outwards like words onto pages.”
Despite the unique art displayed in color guard, it remains obscure throughout the community. For many, “color guard” is an unfamiliar term, and people often don’t know what the activity entails. Compared to the enrollment in other school sports and activities, the enrollment for guard is staggeringly low. Harrington attributes this to people’s reluctance when they see seemingly challenging rifle, saber, or flag work: “When students see color guard, they often think ‘hey I can’t do that, a lot of it looks challenging.’ It’s often difficult to understand that all these members started at some point and didn’t just show up knowing how to toss a flag.”
Color guard is an activity open to those with no prior experience. For students who have ever wondered at what color guard is, perhaps their path ahead lies with the promising future of the Independence Color Guard. To those people who have never seen a color guard, who have thought about possibly joining, or both, Harrington offers, “I really just hope that when people see us perform, they think, ‘Hey, that’s really cool. How can I do that?’”
The Independence Color Guard is holding a clinic for the upcoming marching band season. The clinic will be held on Wednesday, June 1st at 7:00pm-8:45pm in the Independence High School main gym. It is open to anyone interested in trying color guard.
Michelle is currently a Senior, where it is her third and final year writing for The Prowl. This year, she is excited to serve as the Co-Editor-in-Chief....
