As intimidating as it might look to spin a 6-foot metal pole in the air, if you want a sport to keep you active but still have a creative outlet- consider trying out for Catamount Color Guard.
The Catamount Color Guard (CCG) is a part of the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band and performs in pregame and halftime shows.
Color Guard brings sport and art together. Training to perform in 12 minute marching band performances, counting and spinning in unison creates captivating visuals on the football field for the audience.
Winter guard is a sub-section of color guard that happens in winter and spring months when the football team is off-season. It is a 5-6 minute show just including color guard. The guard has a theme for the show, a soundtrack, and costumes to bring the vision to life.
CCG had two different winter guard teams this season. The competition team’s show was titled “I Hear a Symphony” and the community team show was “The Choice is Mine.”
WCU Color Guard director, Emily Lawson, described the competition team performance as something that starts “with a simple melody and it grows into something more complex, and in the end becomes a full-on symphony.”
“The community team show is called ‘The Choice is Mine’ it’s based on finding your own happiness in the world around you. No matter what happens to you, you ultimately have the choice to choose to be happy,” Lawson added.
The competition team had a total of six performances this season: four competition performances, one exhibition performance, and performance for the UNC Board of Governors at the end of their 2022 season.
“My favorite part of any season is seeing the light on the kid’s faces when they come off the floor and they know they have had a good run,” Lawson said. “And they worked so hard at trying to achieve that one trick or that one toss. That little lightbulb that goes off that just makes them happy.”
Hear more about the winter guard from members of the teams in the video below.
While the winter guard season is over, there are still auditions for CCG for The Pride of the Mountains 2022 Marching Show. The two audition days will be held on May 14 and on June 22.
May 14 is also known as “Whee Spin” which is an annual clinic where high school Color Guard members can spin with the veteran and incoming CCG members with different levels of difficulty in show work.
The May 14 audition will be held in the Ramsey Center from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. To find out more information you can go to band page or you can look on the WCU Catamount Color Guard Facebook page.
