The Priceless Life of a Man in Pageantry
Jim Moore is a well known figure in the colorguard community, and has been for quite some time now.
What is colorguard you ask? Colorguard is a performing art of which individuals practice various types of routines for several hours a week and perform said routines from events as small as local football games, to sold out stadiums and arenas of over 10,000 people. Colorguards can perform alongside marching bands or drum corps (professional marching bands), but they also can perform to a musical track without live instrumentalists.
Members are constantly working to polish their skills of tossing and spinning flags, rifles, and sabres, and acquire a combination of athletic skills, creative interpretation of music, and theatrical performance.

Jim Moore has not only been a part of the colorguard world as a top notch performer, but is now on the other side of the activity an an instructor, choreographer and designer for groups across the world. Jim has won an Emmy Award and was nominated for a Tony Award as a choreographer, designer, and performer for Blast!.
In addition, Jim was involved in the creation of Shockwave, CyberJam, and M.I.X. and has danced professionally for almost twenty years, beginning with his career as a principal dancer with the Georgia Ballet Company. Jim has also served as a choreographer for many successful winter guards and drum corps, including Pride of Cincinnati, Bluecoats Indoor, Emerald Marquis, Santa Clara Vanguard, The Cadets, Carolina Crown, Madison Scouts and Aimachi from Nagoya, Japan.
Q: So my first question deals with generally what you’re working as at the moment. I know that you currently teach both indoor and outdoor group at different levels. Is working with color guards your primary occupation?
A: Colorguard? No…pageantry yes. During the fall marching band season, I just choreograph for horns. In the summer, I do it all as you know [choreographing for the colorguard, drumline, and hornline], and in winter I have done all of the genres [working with winterguard groups, indoor percussion groups, as well as indoor wind ensembles].

Q: As for what brought you into the performing arts world itself, I believe you have a history as a ballet dancer. Tell me more about that.
A: I started dancing with the Georgia Ballet Company in ’89 as a principal dancer and was able to dance many lead roles. I moved to New York in ’95 to study and audition with major companies. From the there I got hired by Star of Indiana [a drum and bugle corps] to perform and choreograph Brass Theatre. From there, that show became the Broadway show Blast! for which it won a Tony and along with my fellow choreographers won an Emmy. I retired from the arts performing with the show eight years ago.
Q: What was it that brought you into ballet initially?
A: I found that I had a love for dancing in drum corps. I went to college for dance and was thinking I would never be a ballet dancer that late in life. I had studied modern while taking ballet classes of course. I auditioned for a jazz company in Atlanta and got offered a contract, that Christmas I was asked to be a guest in the nutcracker as a party person. From there I fell into the company and started my ballet career.
Q: All of your work both as a dancer and drum corps performer has led you to help with the production of the award-winning production Blast! that you mentioned before. How did the production come about? Who else was involved?
A: Yes, so Blast! started from a drum corps named Star of Indiana as I mentioned before. They left the field in ’93 to pursue a project called Brass Theatre, that toured with Canadian Brass for a few years. Blast! then evolved out of all those previous ventures. We debuted the show in London right around the time of the millennium 2000. Myself, Jon Vanderkolff and George Pinney choreographed the show together.

Q: After deciding to retire eight years ago with Blast!, what made you want to continue on as an instructor for so many different color guards around the world?
A: I truly enjoy choreographing and teaching, as well as passing on my knowledge of performance to younger generations.
Q: What are some things that you have learned from your time in the activity that still stick with you today?
A: Mostly I learned a work ethic and love for performing that lead me to my entire career in the arts. I owe the drum corps activity a big thanks for leading me to the life I get to lead now.

Q: Do you have any advice for people wanting to follow their dreams be successful in the performance industry?
A: I think whether you’re following your dreams in the performance industry or elsewhere, I would say do not be afraid to take big risks. I know that may sound cliche, but it’s important. Without taking big risks you’ll never know what could have came from it and you’ll always be asking yourself “what if”.