I am very interested in the performing arts. Color guard is a performing art where members dance with flags, weapons, and other props alongside a marching band or, in the winter, to pre-recorded music. I am the Color Guard Director in the Schalmont Central School District and a color guard instructor in the Mohonasen Central School District. I coach, design, and write work for high school and middle school students.
These programs are a way for me to really get involved with the local community as we compete with schools from across the state and fundraise at local venues. It also builds on my experience working with students and their parents.
In 2013-2014 I co-instructed the Mohonasen outdoor color guard, which performs along side the High School Marching Band during the fall seasons. During the 2015 winter season, I led the Mohonasen JV color guard with several other instructors and Daniel Philpott-Jones, the marching band/color guard director. I also established an alumni color guard at Mohonasen and led that group as well, writing work and organizing details behind the scene. In the fall of 2015, I became the color guard director at Schalmont High School and have continued to work with the Mohonasen JV Colorguard through 2017.
Link to Schalmont Color Guard Website with information and images: www.schalmontguard.weebly.com
These programs are a way for me to really get involved with the local community as we compete with schools from across the state and fundraise at local venues. It also builds on my experience working with students and their parents.
In 2013-2014 I co-instructed the Mohonasen outdoor color guard, which performs along side the High School Marching Band during the fall seasons. During the 2015 winter season, I led the Mohonasen JV color guard with several other instructors and Daniel Philpott-Jones, the marching band/color guard director. I also established an alumni color guard at Mohonasen and led that group as well, writing work and organizing details behind the scene. In the fall of 2015, I became the color guard director at Schalmont High School and have continued to work with the Mohonasen JV Colorguard through 2017.
Link to Schalmont Color Guard Website with information and images: www.schalmontguard.weebly.com
Instructor duties
- Provide constructive feedback
- Work with students with different abilities to develop motor control, social skills, and the level of discipline required for competition
- Reward students with positive encouragement and "performance" contests
- Facilitate teamwork, friendship, responsibility, and group confidence through assigning leadership roles, asking students to help each other, and discouraging misbehavior or cliques
- Teach the skills necessary to successfully perform in a color guard show
- Contact parents about upcoming events, scheduling, student problems, and manage parent concerns in a professional manner
- Collaborate with other instructors to design and refine a successful show
- Create documents to share information, schedule practices, and delegate responsibility to members, especially color guard captains (if applicable)
Skills taught at JV colorguard
- Basic flag technique, including how to handle the equipment, how to squeeze, how to control the motion and speed of the flag, and basic movements such as drop spins, slams, and angles
- Basic body and dance technique, including where to center your balance, how to control your muscles, to keep one's posture, how to spin, leap, jump, and walk like a dancer, how to extend the body, and other specific dance and marching techniques
- Basic drill, including how to transition from one spot to the next, how to be aware of the equipment while moving, and how to control one's steps so they align with the beat of the music
- Basic rifle and saber technique, including how to hold a weapon, keeping posture, and how to spin the weapon
SKILLS TAUGHT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL ARE MORE ADVANCED AND BUILD ON THOSE LEARNED IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM AT MOHONASEN.
2015 Performances by Mohonasen High School and Middle School Winter Guards
Draper Middle School taught by Stephanie Hewett, Samantha Derby, Daniel Philpott-Jones (Director), and Kari Adamec.
High School Marching Band Parades
Students I work with march in parades around the area, displaying their skill and energy for the public.
*Images from the Times Union: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Veterans-saluted-on-their-day-4974010.php
http://www.timesunion.com/news/slideshow/Uncle-Sam-Parade-93715/photo-6865078.php *Videos from YouTube users. Originals accessible by clicking "Watch on YouTube". |
*Header image from: http://www.beyondscrapbooks.com/store/images/color_guard1.jpg