Color Guards show off new programs
WEST MILFORD. Local group and 19 others perform for judges, then the public at preview show.
| 17 Jan 2024 | 05:50
The West Milford Color Guard performs its new ‘Bad Guys’ program Saturday, Jan. 13 in the school gym. (Photo by Bret Harmon)
The West Milford Color Guard performs Saturday, Jan. 13 in the school gym. (Photo by Bret Harmon)
Sammie Bower, a junior, is a solo dancer with the West Milford Color Guard. (Photo by Bret Harmon)
Abigail Viering, a junior, performs with a wooden rifle during the show. (Photo by Bret Harmon)
The West Milford Color Guard tosses flags in the air during a performance for judges Saturday, Jan. 13. (Photo by Kathy Shwiff)
Color Guard members perform with flags for the judges. (Photo by Kathy Shwiff)
Some members also perform with wooden rifles. (Photo by Kathy Shwiff)
The West Milford Pipes & Drums also performed at the show Jan. 13. (Photo by Bret Harmon)
A judge comments on the West Milford Color Guard’s program. (Photo by Kathy Shwiff)
The West Milford Indoor Color Guard has 15 members. It is open to middle and high school students. (Photo by Peter Shaver)
The West Milford Color Guard hosted 19 similar groups in a contest and show Saturday, Jan. 13 at the high school.
Starting before noon, each color guard presented its winter program in the school gym and received feedback from judges. In the evening, they performed for the public in a preview show.
Participating were groups from Lakeland, Wayne Hills, Mahwah, Pequannock Township, Ridgewood and West Orange high schools as well as independent color guards, such as Pegasus and Snyder Winter Guard.
Peter Shaver, director of the West Milford Color Guard, said a cheering crowd packed the front stands for the show, which included a performance by the West Milford Pipes & Drums.
It was the first time that the groups had presented their programs in public, he noted.
“We are so lucky to have a supportive West Milford community,” including the district’s supervisor of humanities, Sharon West; the West Milford Band Parents Association and its president, Mary Duffy; the school administration and staff; and parents of Color Guard members who helped run the show, he said.
The West Milford Color Guard, with 15 members, will participate in competitions every Saturday through April as it refines its program, said Shaver, an art and photographer teacher who has directed the group for 18 years. He is assisted by Keith Williams..
The competitions, part of the Mid-Atlantic Indoor Network (MAIN), are in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
The West Milford Color Guard also will travel to three regional championships, he said. However, the group will not attend the national championships this year because its members will travel abroad with the high school band during spring break.
The Color Guard performs with the band at football games in the fall. Members may take part in the Color Guard in the fall or winter or both. It is open to middle and high school students both boys and girls.
Shaver said West Milford has been hosting a color guard contest and show for 18 years. The first year, it won a MAIN championship and was moved into a division with tougher competition.
Members start every practice with stretching and warm-ups, and all of them are trained in all of the equipment used, from flag to rifles. They are assigned to perform with specific equipment based on their skill level, Shaver said.