2023 Class of Future Leaders Program Announced
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WGI and the WGI Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee are excited to announce the 2023 class of the I AM WGI: Future Leaders Program, a mentorship and leadership opportunity for WGI performers across all regions and divisions. Color Guard Andrew Elkins South Carolina Chana Chhim Massachusetts Reid Scholz Arizona Seth Sharpe Ohio […]
WGI Hall of Fame: Wayne Harris
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By Emily Ward: The marching arts have always had a strong impact on the lives of people who participated. The performances, competitions, classes, and more have shaped many of us into who we are today. One of the people whose entire life was positively altered by our activity is Wayne Harris, one of the […]
Noir Independent: Emphasizing Diversity and Inclusion
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By Kellie Finch Diversity and inclusion are key words at the heart of most ensembles’ mission statements, but one winter guard based in Atlanta, Georgia emphasizes these beliefs at the very top of their organizational makeup. Founded and directed by Corey Hawkins, Noir Independent Winter guard aimed to foster an outlet for staff and […]
Emerging Voices Award
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WGI’s New Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Page!
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WGI is committed to giving a voice to the underrepresented members of our community and having an open conversation with those of different backgrounds, genders, and other aspects of one’s identity. In celebration of WGI’s incredibly diverse community, we are proud to unveil our website’s New Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page. This page contains our […]
Top 5 Moments of 2022: WGI Edition
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2022 has been a wild ride, and so many incredible feats were achieved in the span of a single year. Take a look below at some of the best things to come out of 2022 for the world’s largest indoor marching arts community! 1. Second Class of Future Leaders Announced This past March, the 2022 […]
The Woodlands HS: The Doors Are Open
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By Trudy Horsting The Woodlands High School winter guard put on a beautiful 2022 production titled “The Doors are Open,” which left many craving to learn more about this program and receive some insight on how they got where they are today. In this piece, Cyndi Robbins, Director of The Woodlands, shares her strategies for […]
Rhythm X: Inside the “Art Shaped Box”
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By: Mikey McGuire WGI Percussion in 2022 featured some of the most unique and innovative show designs we have seen on the UD floor in years, but one show that stood out from the rest was Rhythm X’s 2022 production, “Art Shaped Box.” The group took inspiration from the life and art of grunge pioneer […]
Inside AMP Winter Guard: Defining Entertainment
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By Trudy Horsting humble beginnings AMP Winter Guard has recently been renowned for its entertaining, crowd-pleasing productions. Each time the cast enters a performance space, their show captivates the audience and leaves them on their feet. However, AMP comes from humble beginnings, from a staff dedicated to the cause and cousins, brothers, sisters, and friends […]
Dobyns-Bennett 2022: Making a Name for the Program
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By Trudy Horsting: 2022 was the first year Dobyns-Bennett High School Winterguard made WGI Finals. Jed Garvey, Director of the Colorguard, reflects on the longevity of this goal in an interview with Trudy Horsting. “The guard has been trying to make that push into finals for about two decades. 2022 was the year we finally […]
Brownsburg HS 2022: Dance Monkey
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By Emily Ward “Dance Monkey” by the group “Tones and I” has been a popular song played on every major radio station over the past few years. Brownsburg High School from Brownsburg, Indiana, put the piece to good use in their silver medalist, 2022 A-class show entitled the same name as the hit single. Director […]
Palm Desert: Building a Middle School Program
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By Trudy Horsting
José Alejandro Peña is the program director of Palm Desert Charter Middle school. In this piece, he shares how he built the program, how working with a middle school program differs from working with older groups, and his advice for those aspiring to begin or grow a younger color guard team.
5 Reasons to Volunteer for World Championships
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WGI World Championships is the pinnacle of the indoor marching arts activity. Thousands of performers spend months rehearsing their productions and perfecting their technique to display it over the course of one final competition weekend. Running an event this large would never be possible without the many moving arms of our volunteers. From the moment […]
Clover HS 2022 Feature: Medusa
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By Kellie Finch Clover High School’s indoor percussion ensemble is a prime example of how hard work leads to success. Led by Director of Percussion Ryan Hall , the program brought Ancient Greece to Dayton, Ohio, with their 2022 production, “Medusa.” The attention to detail and dedication from performers led Clover to a gold medal with […]
Caleb Brown: Ending the Stigma
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Caleb Brown’s connection to the marching arts activity spans the course of the past 18 years, and his commitment to educating future generations both on and off the floor is an admirable feat. In addition to his lengthy resume within the activity, Brown is also making strides in the field of HIV advocacy and education. […]
WGI Mourns the passing of Mickey Kelly
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With heavy hearts, WGI announces the passing of Mickey Kelly, a member of the WGI Hall of Fame and passionate advocate of the indoor marching arts. Mickey was a former Color Guard chief judge and a current adjudicator for the Percussion division of WGI. Responsible for setting new standards in program concepts, Mickey Kelly was […]
Program Costuming: Process and Advice
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By Emily Ward Crafting a marching arts show involves many different creative aspects. One key component is finding the perfect uniform that will elevate the impact of a team’s show. Many companies within the marching arts industry create those one-of-a-kind uniforms for teams, and each has its own unique process for establishing its costumes. One […]
The First Indoor Winds groups: Pioneers of WGI’s Newest Division
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By: Christine Ngeo Katzman As WGI Sport of the Arts celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2022, the Winds division entered its eighth season. Many groups have established themselves as front runners of WGI’s newest competitive division throughout this time. Why, and what can other groups learn? At the same time, how have these winning groups […]
Six Wives: Interview with the 2020 CGT Captains
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By: Christine Ngeo Katzman Co-captains of CGT Dallas’ 2020 show remember the beauty, strength, and unity portrayed by its all-female cast. Henry VIII had six wives, and CGT Dallas had 40 female guard members to tell their powerful story in its 2020 program. Using music from the theatrical show “Six,” CGT Dallas created a set […]
World Championships
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