We had an awesome 2018 Color Guard World Championships! Take a look at the Finals recaps below for each class.
Independent World
Paramount (1st – 97.000) brought a unique performance to life. The floor was shades of nude which matched their unique uniforms. With resistance stretch bands incorporated into their uniforms, they beautifully utilized them in their choreography. “Describe You” was a fierce and powerful show that left us without words.
Pride of Cincinnati’s (2nd – 96.600) “To Bare My Soul” was anything but simple. Their nude uniforms, transparent equipment, and lack of tarp all contributed to the feeling of being exposed. Read more…
Scholastic World
In “Forgotten Circus,” Avon HS (1st – 97.600) had us feeling excited, sad, and loved all at the same time. This dynamic show took us on a journey with the movements changing from light to dark. A floor laid out like the inside of a circus tent and costumes of various clowns, showmen, and stagehands, the execution of this performance had you right in the middle of a real circus that won’t be forgotten.
Performing half of the show with their hands tied, Trumbull HS (2nd – 95.950) brought a suspenseful and beyond talented performance. Read more…
Independent Open
It’s a busy day for the Pegasus organization with Finalists in all three Independent classes! Wearing military costumes of half navy blue and half olive, UCF Pegasus Open (Fla.) (Gold Medal- 97.90) were two warring factions in “Sit Down.” A large white table in the center of the floor was like the elephant in the room for much of the program, as members tossed rifles and spun two distinct quasi- national flag designs around it, but never actually sat to talk. Rifles were the only equipment used for the first half of the show. The guns were eventually put down and the two sides met at the negotiating table to attempt a peaceful resolution. Read more…
Scholastic Open
Starting with tape-covered mouths, Park Vista HS (Fla.) (Gold Medal- 97.65) quickly found their voices after removing the tape in “Break the Silence,” inspired by the poem Somewhere in America. The line “the greatest lessons you will ever teach us you will not even remember” allowed the kids to highlight contradictions between what schools are supposed to teach and unspoken lessons actually learned, illustrating the absurdities of censorship in the process. The program defiantly concluded with members shouting “Never Again,” in support of the #NeverAgain movement ignited by the Stoneman Douglas HS shootings. Read more…
Independent A
Pacificaires certainly made their trip from British Columbia worth it as they swept Independent A Finals this afternoon. The Canadian group (Gold Medal – 97.465) presented a narrative show told from the point-of-view of a rocking chair. “A Chair for Mom” traces the story of the chair, beginning with his arrival in the home, following a young mother rocking her babies, and ending with those children, now grown, visiting home to rock in the chair again. The elegant guard in navy and ivory dresses with full skirts could have been the young mother or the adult children returned as they took turns rocking in the chair and using it for equipment stunts. Read more…
Scholastic A
Leander High School (Gold Medal – 99.400) in their first trip ever to WGI World Championships won the Scholastic A division! A floor of ornate but empty frames formed the backdrop of “Reflections,” set to the song “Man in the Mirror.” Performers wore beautifully intricate bodysuits and danced with mirrors to show the importance of looking within themselves to make change possible. However, the flawless perfectionism of Leander High School’s equipment work and superb quality of movement certainly led to the standing ovation that began before the show had even concluded and left no one in doubt of who were the Texas belles of the Class A ball. Read more…
