Lewiston High School has a color guard team which accomplished much this year. Color guard creates a visual effect for music by telling a story to the audience through color, props and emotion. The team uses synchronized dance, flag work, mock rifles and props to create the show.
This year alone, color guard performed with the band at games and parades, competed and placed 17th with the band at the WSU Marching Band Competition, and performed at two Treasure Valley Indoor Association competitions, taking home fourth and second place. They also got second place in the TVIA championships on April 9.
The team consists of seven members, including captain Makayla Nielson, and is coached by Jenny Ramey. They meet once a week on Thursday for a three hour practice. During marching band, the team practices with the band. Ramey came to Brenden Burns, LHS band director, with the idea for a color guard team five years ago. Ramey had experience coaching during college, and Burns was on board to help bring the idea to life.
The color guard community is very welcoming and emphasizes supporting each other. “All the other teams are really supportive of everyone else, it’s really cool to see,” said Cordelia Cattrysse, a member of colorguard. Cattrysse joined color guard after being talked into it by a friend and thought it looked fun. She had to get out of her comfort zone, since she wasn’t used to having to dance in front of people while throwing and catching flags. Despite the long process, she thinks it’s a lot of fun and really enjoys her team and the competitions.
Nielson also enjoys the competitions and performing at school events such as football games. As captain of the team, she puts in a lot of energy towards making the performances the best they can be. It can be a struggle when so much effort is put in without visible payoff, but in the end it’s all worth it. “It’s so fun though the feeling of satisfaction when I finally learn a challenging toss is unmeasurable,” Nielson said.
Color guard is one of the behind-the-scenes gems at LHS with an inviting community and hard work mixed with talent. It may sound like throwing flags couldn’t be an art form, but the final product is undoubtedly dazzling. As Cattrysse said, “Don’t be afraid to catch it. Catching is a choice that the answer is always yes.”