By Lee Ann Sides Garrett
For the Salisbury Post
They practiced in their bare feet. Nine girls twirled rifles, dodged flying flagpoles and perfected positions in the gym at the East Rowan YMCA.
Sounds like a battle. Instead, it’s the East Rowan High School Winter Guard practicing for an upcoming competition.
“It’s hard work,” says senior Courtney Evers. “But it pays off in the end.”
The group, five of whom were members of the marching band’s fall color guard, is part of a growing trend across the country. Rowan County high school marching bands regularly compete against bands from all over the state during the marching season. But color guard and percussion lines have become so popular that these divisions of marching bands now have an indoor competition season of their own.
“This is our practice floor,” says the group’s director, Stephanie Hawley, pointing to a tarp-like cover on the gym floor. “We’ll have a special, colorful one for competition.”
Hawley says the special covers protect the gym floor, add to the team’s performance and are the reason the girls practice barefoot. Individual teams bring their own “floors” to competition.
Winter Guard combines marching with flags, rifles and twirling sabers, as well as dance, in an indoor format. Area competitions are sponsored by the Carolina Indoor Performance Association. Winter Guard International competitions cover the entire eastern seaboard. Competition groups are based on skill level.
“We’re moving up to the intermediate group this year,” Hawley says. Finishing last year’s season in first place moved them up to a new level.
“First place, it was surreal,” says Evers. “It was something the best guards we looked up to did.”
Hawley recently led the girls through a rigorous practice complete with rehearsing dance moves while marching, perfecting lines and positions and practicing complicated flag tosses.
“I used to be afraid of the flag,” says senior Candice Brown. “It takes a while before you can do tosses without being scared.”
Hawley says the girls are doing great but have a long way to go.
“They can march about a minute of about a four-minute show right now,” Hawley says. “We’re still putting things together.”
The last part of practice was spent learning new parts of the drill. The girls marked their new positions on the practice floor with colored tape.
Hawley, who has a background in drum corps, says the most rewarding thing is watching them grow and become more confident. About half the team members say they have always been performers. But others wanted something to bring them out of their shell.
“I was always shy. I wanted something to become more confident,” says freshman Brittney Smith. “If I’m here with other people, I stay out of trouble.”