In a marching field show, the instrumentals are not the only factor that make it up. The color guards are essential in a show. It delivers a sense of beauty and emphasis that season’s theme. During winter time, the color guards prepare for a Winter Guard season. Some even compete in WGI or Winter Guard International. I have talked about what winter guards do in relations to marching band. But let me get more in depth as to what they are as well as a further explanation on WGI.
Color Guard is a combination of the use of flags, sabers, mock rifles, and other equipment, as well as dance and other interpretive movement. Winter color guards can be found in high schools, middle schools, universities, and other independent organizations, some of which are related to drum corps.
There are two levels of classification: Independent and Scholastic. Independent groups are self-organized and funded, sometimes they are an extension of a college program. Scholastic ensembles are programs that compete on behalf of their school. For both Independent and Scholastic classes, WGI offers competitive divisions of A Class, Open Class and World Class. This will allow ensembles to compete and be compared with other groups at a similar skill level. Ensembles in A Class use a beginners skill set, Open Class has an intermediate skill set and World Class an advanced skill set. The Independent World Class has no age limit.
Founded in 1977, WGI Sport of the Arts has grown to include nearly 1,000 color guards competing with WGI. Winter Guard now exists in Africa, Belgium, Canada, England, Germany, Holland, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand and the United States.
The WGI competitive season begins in February and finishes in April at the Color Guard World Championships.
WGI Sport of the Arts is the world’s premier organization producing indoor color guard, percussion, and winds competitions. As a non-profit youth organization, WGI also serves as the governing body for the indoor color guard, percussion, and winds activities. It is called the Sport of the Arts because it brings music to life through performance in a competitive format. Even with over 40 years of history, the sport continues to evolve and grow. There were more than 33,000 participants at the regional level, and more than 16,000 participants at the Sport of the Arts World Championships this past April. Isn’t that astounding?
Furthermore, WGI uses a competition-based approach for organizing events in order to showcase youth activities in pursuit of high standards of achievement. Events include about 60 Regionals and Power Regionals, which lead to the three-day World Championships that evaluate more than 350 guards, 250 percussion ensembles, and 40 winds groups.
Though they do have winds and percussion performing along side them, the main focus is on the color guards. They are surely a force to be reckoned with.
My Journey Through the Arts 