Winter Guard Frequently Asked Questions What Is Winter Guard? The basics are similar to fall marching band and we will get into that but let’s give you a bit of a history lesson first.. Winter guard started in the 1950's as a competitive military Honor Guard activity. The Honor Guard consisted of the American Flag, State Flag, Organization Flags, side arms (rifle and/or sabre used to "protect" the American Flag), a commanding officer and any award flags your unit might have received. Very military in format, you presented the American Flag and did various maneuvers to present the colors in a unique way. Pretty much like most VFW Honor Guards do today in parades. The maneuvers increased in complexity but the "American Flag Code" was strictly adhered to. (These are the rules of how to fly and march with the American Flag. There are many!). By the early 70's music was introduced. Previous to this the commanding officer would call out commands or a single snare drummer would tap a beat. Once music was added to the sport people really began to explore the possibilities that music brought with it. Thematic shows, different moods, etc. The American flag squad still existed, however the side arms had increased in number creating sabre lines and rifle lines and they actually started throwing them!!!! The award flags turned into flag lines, the big heavy embroidered award flags were replaced by custom design flags, however the poles were still 8 ft tall or larger! Flag tosses were still a few years down the road. Music became the driving force of the activity in the 70's and by the end of this decade the American Flag Squads had all but disappeared. It was around this time that Winter Guard International was formed. It is the national governing body of winter color guards. Up until the founding of WGI the country consisted of many individually run circuits (Our local circuit the North Star Circuit is one of these. It was formed in 1962 and is now the second oldest local circuit in the country). WGI helped to standardize the competitive aspects of the activity as well as help with national training and education. The 80's brought many other creative elements to the activity with the introduction of dance, theater, performance art, etc. The shows turned into full productions, completely orchestrated, designed and performed to a specific soundtrack. WGI also grew by adding the Scholastic Class to the line up. Since this time the Scholastic Classes make up the majority of the membership in WGI. During the 90's the activity continued to grow and added more classifications to better serve its members. In the mid 90's the Percussion Classes were also added. Currently, WGI will has 9 classifications for Colorguards which are 3 Independent Classes (groups that are independently run and have people of all ages), 3 Scholastic Classes (groups that come from a particular school with a max age of 18)and 9 Percussion Classes. How Do They Judge Winter Colorguards? Classifications have developed in winter guard not like the fall marching season which usually goes by school size but rather by the talent level of the performers and the designers. The guard classes are as follows: =Scholastic A Class: Beginning/intermediate level high school units. Skills are more basic and they are still learning the fundamentals of the activity. Staff is usually 1-2. =Scholastic Open Class: Intermediate/Advanced level high school units. Skills are more advanced the performers and designers have a much better understanding of the principals of the activity and are now starting to explore more complex ideas. Staff size is usually 2-4. =Scholastic World Class: Advanced level high school units. Demonstrate advanced skills and perform at very high levels. Usually have larger staffs. =Independent A Class: same as Scholastic A except age limit is 22 years old. =Independent Open Class: same as Scholastic Open except age limit of 22 years old. =Independent World Class: same as Scholastic World except no age limit. =There are a couple other classifications for younger marchers but we won't get into that. Each of the classifications (A, Open, World) has their own judging criteria. They each have their own 100 point scale which is broken down into five captions. They are: # 1. Individual Analysis - Equipment - This judge credits the performer on how they handle their equipment as well as crediting the designer on what they choreographed for the performers. So, they are judged on what they are given and how well they do what they have been given, but strictly relative to Equipment... Flag, rifle and sabre. #2. Individual Analysis - Movement -This judge credits the performer on how they move as well as crediting the designer on what they have choreographed for the performers. So, again they are judged on what they are given and how well they do what they have been given, but strictly relative to Movement...dance, theatrics, gesture, anything to do with the body. #3. Ensemble Analysis -This judge credits all of the technical aspects of the program. They look at how the show flows how it is written to the music, the total technical package. They credit the composition itself, what has been designed and how it works or doesn't and they in turn credit the excellence in its performance. How well the performers are executing the composition. #4 and #5. General Effect - There are 2 judges that look at the performance from an emotional standpoint. How much entertainment value does the show have? They judge the repertoire similar to composition but less technical and more emotional. They also credit the performance. How well is the repertoire being performed? Not only at an excellence stand point but very much at an emotional one. This caption is very technical but really based on the emotional aspects of a program be it in your face or intellectual. The judges follow these criteria when judging a unit regardless of class. Just take the verbiage from each caption and apply it to beginner, intermediate or advanced qualities and that is pretty much how you come up with the 3 different point scales. How Do You Watch a Winter Guard Show? Many people complain that they don't get to see everything because there is so much going on. That's okay, then there is something different to see every time you view it! Also, if the designer has done their job correctly the motion on the floor will automatically direct your eye to what is the most important thing to watch. Just enjoy the Show - you will decide what you like best and that's cool. You will be able to start to really see the complexities of shows and how much work goes into these products. It is truly amazing. How Does The Staff Come Up With Show Ideas? Every year the staff tries to challenge the members as well as themselves to create a unique show that is Irondale. Exploring different genres of music, theater and dance are also important to us so that the members can experience different styles and methods while they are marching at Irondale. Variety and exploring various styles is always a good thing. The show is written to visually interpret the music, nothing more than that. You can watch the movement, equipment and drill and it should be reflecting the music. We try to have moments in the show that are memorable and breath-taking. That is the hardest part. When staging moments we want them to be creative, clever, visually pleasing, emotional and intellectual. That should pretty much take care of the needs of almost any audience member. If you walk away from any show and can remember at least one moment in the show, then the designer has succeeded. (Of course unless the only moment you remember was offensive to you and that is a whole different story!) How Do You Compare Performance Art To A Famous Painting? I hope that everyone gets a chance to see the show this year. Performance art is such an incredible thing. It is not like a painting hanging in the Louvre, that you can constantly go back and see, it is only here for one particular moment and then it is gone never to be seen again. Now, we perform several more times but each performance is completely unique from any other and after April 12 or 13 it will only be a memory on a video tape.