By Mai Tran
Founded in the summer of 1988 by Michael Lentz and Denny Campbell, Onyx Color Guard is now celebrating its 30th anniversary. The three-time WGI Gold Medalists consistently perform shows filled with a multitude of hidden messages, and expect the upcoming season to be their best work. As we take a look back at the history of the group and what its future holds, they hope that each audience member will have their own unique experience while watching Onyx.
Onyx was promoted to Open Class in 1993, and as interest in the group increased, Onyx A and Onyx Open were founded, later being renamed O3 and O2. The primary group entered the World Class division in 2001 with their show “SymphONYX,” each performer acting as a musician in an orchestra, complete with music stands, chairs, and a conductor.
One of Onyx’s movement collaborators is Kate Jablonski, director of Beyond Words Dance Company in Chicago. In 2013, Kate taught the WGI Day After Class, a master class on the floor of the UD Arena the day after finals. Several Onyx members attended the class and had a very positive experience, and the group reached out to her to become involved with Onyx. Kate began working with the guard for the 2014 season and has had a large impact on their movement; other collaborators include Mikey Perkins from Phoenix Project Dance, Derek Stratton from PILOBOLUS and Vincent Thomas from VT Dance.
In the 2017 competitive season, Onyx delved from their traditional design with the show “Bizarre BAZAAR,” intentionally making every decision in opposition to the ones they would normally make. Going for the unusual, they did away with the clean lines and crafted, deep thinking design ideas, exploring a different side of Onyx. After the season, it was announced that Onyx would be retiring from WGI. “We thought we were done,” said Michael. “After twenty-nine consecutive years we just thought it was time to try something else. But, very quickly, we were reminded of how much color guard and WGI have been crucial in our lives. A few iconic individuals approached us separately and shared their thoughts on our retirement. We decided we were in fact not done, but rather reenergized and reinvigorated and ready to get back to work!”
Reflecting on Onyx’s impact on WGI, Michael says, “Onyx works hard to bring creative, quality, and memorable ideas to the floor and each show is a continuation, or response, to the ones that came before. It’s many chapters in a growing book. A book we hope to continue to write for many more years to come. For Onyx, movement is life is movement.”
About the Author: Mai Tran is a student at New York University, studying English with minors in dance and American Sign Language. She writes for several on-campus publications and is a volunteer editor at October Hill Magazine. Originally from southern California, she has performed with the Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps and Alter Ego Winter Guard.