Life in the Purdue University Winter Guard
Four laps. Every practice starts the same way with four laps around the track in Lambert Fieldhouse. If anyone is ever late, each minute they miss after the official rehearsal start time will tack an extra lap onto those four (moral of the story, never be late). In the moment, there is nothing I want to do less than take those laps, but I know in the back of my mind that it’s worth it. Without regular cardio, there’s no way any of us would be able to make it through the speed and intensity that our show, “Up, Up & Away,” brings with it.
Practices generally tend to follow a set structure with changes added in depending on where we are progress-wise in the season. This is a comforting thought knowing that the rest of my college life can be fairly hectic and unpredictable. No matter what else is going on outside of guard, I know that I can show up on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays expecting a cardio and stretch block followed by sectional rehearsals and full ensemble runs through the show.
In sectionals, weapons and flags both kick-start the rehearsal by running through a basic spinning technique block. This section may begin to feel tedious midway through the season, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons. It’s important to be able to keep our skills sharp even when we have other aspects of the show that we need to work on. A basics block also forces us to focus in, feel at one with the members surrounding us, and concentrate on the task at hand.
Full ensemble rehearsal is where the magic happens. Following sectionals, we bring the weapons and flags together to run through chunks of choreography, adjust any issues with drill spots, and clean, clean, clean. Seeing all of the separate pieces of the show come to life in a big picture setting never fails to bring a smile to my face despite how exhausted I may be at that point of the rehearsal.
The WGI regional competitions that we attend throughout the season are a different kind of beast compared to rehearsals. Going into these competition weekends can feel intimidating as we prepare to show the world what we have spent hours upon hours attempting to perfect. The bus rides to the competitions always give me a chance to relax and jam out to music with my friends before the nervous butterflies in my stomach begin to settle in. I believe the butterflies are a good thing, though, as the feeling reminds me to hone my focus in on the performance awaiting me.
Despite the fact that our production is, for the most part, lighthearted and fun, we can never let up on our strong, deliberate catches and body movements. Every time we touch a piece of equipment, we aim to do so with a sense of purpose and drive that the audience is able to feel from the top of the stands. This tenacity, along with a sense of togetherness throughout the ensemble, is what will set us apart from our competitors. No matter what our final placement ends up being, each presentation of our show should be filled with passion and excitement. We aim to bring the audience along on a journey with us and we do so by performing every movement and emotion to the best of our ability.
The 2019 season has been nothing short of exhilarating, and I am thrilled to be able to perform such an upbeat show surrounded by my favorite people in the world. I live for the moments when I happen to make eye contact with one of my teammates on the floor during a run of the show. In an instant, I am able to connect with them knowing that we are both working towards the same goal and doing what we love.
