Scholastic World Class Finals Review
Apr 5, 2009
By Philip Mayard
Avon HS – 1st, 97.8
Finally! The performers of Avon High School made history in 2009, rightfully earning their first Scholastic World championship title with their breathtaking program, “Release.” A stark, postmodern set design – a cream-colored floor covering with a single black line across the center -- set the stage for this astonishing production. Wonderfully conceived and executed staging concepts left no doubt where one’s attention should go. Once again Avon performs to a soundtrack with almost no discernable rhythm, and executes a stunning array of equipment feats with ease. The spectacular all-flag ending in textures of black provided a breathless conclusion to this remarkable production.
James Logan HS – 2nd, 95.6
Returning to world championships after a year’s hiatus, James Logan High School’s bizarre and mesmerizing “Dreamtime” soundtrack and tribal costuming took this thrilling ensemble into new realms of artistic exploration. This aborigines-theme production showcased a style of music and dance not seen before in this arena. Several death-defying equipment sequences elicited cheers of delight, and a well deserved standing ovation at the show’s end.
Flanagan HS – 3rd, 93.8
Daring. Brave. Fearless. How else to describe Flanagan High School’s splendid program, “Hopelandic,” which looked to the strange, otherworldly country of Iceland as a thematic setting. Aggressively attacking a non-stop workout of contemporary dance, spine-tingling weapon tricks and seamless flag work, Flanagan kept the audience on the edge of its collective seats until the very end. For many years this unit has been known for its boundless power and force – this show didn’t disappoint, with an extraordinary level of performance skills that earned a well deserved standing ovation.
Carmel HS – 4th, 92.2
Always one of WGI’s most appealing units, the romantic strains of “Danny Boy” were a great choice for this highly skilled group of young ladies from Indiana. Performing their program “Good Luck” on a floral-green floor tarp and costumed in elegant shades of brown and rust, the guard pulled off one of the most intricate and musical flag books in the SW class.
Warren Central HS – 5th, 91.2
Numbers, and how they have affected our lives since the beginning of time, formed the basis for an extremely exciting and difficult program entitled “Chaos Theory.” There isn’t a stronger group of equipment handlers in our activity, and this production showed off their skills in a thrilling way. The audience particularly loved a seemingly never-ending rifle double-time sequence, which had the performers flying around their partners. The crowd leapt to their feet at the end of this compelling production.
Choctawhatchee HS – 6th, 88.9
A giant movie reel set the stage for this unique re-mix of “My Funny Valentine,” incorporating voiceovers from the movie “Casablanca.” What a delight to see this unit back in the thick of the SW competition, with wonderfully conceived staging and a cleanly executed all-flag statement that brought back memories of this unit’s long history of innovative and expressive shows. Also notable were a number of exquisite dancers, nicely integrated into the overall production.
Arcadia HS - 7th, 88.7
Always one of WGI’s most sophisticated ensembles, Arcadia again demonstrated that understated elegance can be both effective and entertaining, with their colorful program “Geometry of Art and Life.” Particularly striking was a weapon soloist center stage, whose flawless catch led to an eye-popping orange all-flag statement around the perimeter of the floor. Another stunning green and lime flag ensemble showcased the unit’s incredible equipment skills.
Center Grove HS – 8th, 88.4
Utilizing a multi-hued blue floor adorned with bubbles, and outfitted in textured blue costumes, Center Grove once again proved they are force to be reckoned with, with their program “Here Comes the Flood.” The lyrical music provided a fitting backdrop for a lovely array of intricate and well-executed movement and equipment statements. The audience held its collective breath on several weapon ripple sequences, while the final all-flag statement seemed to “flood” the floor with color and joy.
Miamisburg HS – 9th, 87.3
Performing on an elaborate set depicting the ancient Roman Coliseum, one of WGI’s most respected units looked to the driving strains of “Pines of Rome” for their production, “All Roads Lead to Rome.” As the music built to a forceful crescendo, so too did the energetic level of movement and equipment work, with performers leaping off the top of the Coliseum, flags whipping across the floor in a blazing fury of motion and color.
Rancho Bernardo HS – 10th, 85.6
The always strong and charming performers of Rancho Bernardo seem especially confident this year with their enjoyable production, “Catch a Star in a Jar.” Outfitted in dark blue velvet, the show incorporates several neon yellow “stars” which float across the stage to highlight various equipment and movement statements. A soaring orchestral soundtrack provided a perfect musical accompaniment for this delightful production.
Trumbull HS – 11th, 84.5
A colorful floor covering beautifully set the stage for Trumbull’s light and airy program, “Aurora.” Solid color flags in a glorious array of reds, pinks and oranges led to more intricate flag designs, and a dramatic array of solid rifle tosses. Exuding strength, confidence and glee in everything they do, don’t be surprised if Trumbull moves to the top of the pack in the Scholastic World class in years to come.
Centerville HS – 12th, 83.5
Performing on one of the most striking sets of championships -- a vibrant rust-colored floor tarp emblazoned with a massive tree and real tree branches around the perimeter – Centerville’s dark, foreboding soundtrack (Chopin’s “Funeral March”) provided a dramatic musical setting for this most powerful ensemble. Highlights included a gorgeous red all-flag section, culminating in a huge toss/lay-down catch. Showing perhaps their strongest movement skills to date, poetic voiceovers helped to tell their dark story of “A Poison Tree.”
Freedom High School – 13th, 83.3
Coming off a very successful season in Scholastic Open last year, the sounds of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech played prominently into Freedom’s “Just Rights” program. Although strong on all pieces of equipment – demonstrating a deep understanding of multiple planes on flag -- rifle is really this guard’s strongest suit, with several very impressive tosses and exchanges executed with assurance.
Cheshire HS – 14th, 83.2
Cheshire has really been coming on strong since moving into SW class. This year’s production “Reaching Out” explored an even more difficult equipment book. Displaying strong skills on rifle, flag and sabre, the guard seemed fearless in this performance, confidently executing toss after toss without a bobble. Especially notable is the fact that many of the guard’s toughest equipment statements are done while moving across the floor.
Seminole HS – 15th, 81.0
Kicking off the action in Scholastic World class: Seminole High School’s highly appealing production, “Shiver.” With a cluster of props center stage, the wind began to blow and the intensity of the program began to build with a series of very confident rifle solo tosses. As the props opened, the strains of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons –Winter” became clearer. The audience responded strongly to a fantastic all-rifle section, with a soloist center stage catching in a split position. The sounds of cracking ice added another dimension to this crowd-pleasing show, including a spectacular purple and blue all-flag, culminating a sky-high 360.
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