By Karen Hsueh
Copy Editor
Winter Guard placed first at its second competition of the 2015 season at Valencia High School on Saturday, March 21. After placing third at its first competition at Monrovia High School, the group changed its show by adding new props for visual enhancement.
“We did pretty well,” senior captain Helen Yip said. “This is only our second competition, so obviously, we’re still in the beginning stages of getting our show and still have a long way to go until we hone down our performance.”
Winter Guard coach Courtney Cheyne put a different spin on the show by adding six additional dancers, who perform without equipment, to the core eight dancers. This year’s show explores the concept of rain, with each member representing a rain drop through the use of cloud backdrops and their usual flags, rifles, and sabers.
“It’s all the imagination and creativity of our coach Ms Cheyne,” junior Amber Au said. “She has a collection of amazing ideas and constantly finds inspiration for different aspects of our shows.”
Usually competing against four to five other schools in the same division, Guard has been practicing three to five hours every day for their season. The team hopes to clean up the choreography of their five-minute show and gain experience for the new members of the team. Out of fourteen people, there are only three seniors, so training and basic technique are crucial to success.
“It feels surreal. I didn’t actually discover what the true exhilaration of performing until the end of my sophomore year and I still want more,” senior Stefanie Kuizon said. “It’s hard to think that this is my final season, but I’m really looking forward to closing it with a bang.”
Guard has four more competitions if it qualifies for championships. Its next competition is this Saturday at Aliso Niguel High School in Aliso Viejo.
