MU’s Winter Guard was forced to end its winter season early last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a year later, pandemic safety measures are transforming the coming season.
Ionic Winter Guard, named for the style of MU’s six iconic columns, normally begins activities with rehearsals in November, followed by a competition season that extends from January through March, with nationwide championships falling in early April. In competitions, the 22-member team performs tightly choreographed routines with flags, rifles and sabers set to a soundtrack.
Last year’s competition season was cut short with more than a month left to go as the onset of COVID-19 in late winter turned most sporting events into potential vectors for infection. The final month of competitions were all cancelled.
“There’s a lot of physical interaction in Winter Guard, traditionally,” Sneha Reddy, one of the team’s four captains, said. “And when you go to competitions, if you’re watching, you’re in a crowd of people sitting in bleachers.”
The team has already restarted rehearsals in preparation for what is already shaping up to be a much-changed season. The members will have to wear masks at all times, including during practices and performances, which can make physical activity harder.
“Our circuit, as well as the world organization — they’re not doing in-person competitions this season, so everything’s online,” Reddy said. “We just record a video of us doing our show and submit that, and we’re going to get a ranking. It’s the best we can do.”
Despite the vastly different experience ahead, members of the team are hopeful and even optimistic for the new opportunities that the changed season might present.
“It’s a little bit disappointing that it’s not the same, but it’s for safety, of course,” Reddy said. “But I’m also excited because we get to do things we don’t normally get to do during the season. We get to focus more individually, and with recording our performances, we get multiple chances to record a video to submit, whereas at an actual competition, you just get one shot.”
The performance videos will hopefully be uploaded online to the website Competition Suite for anyone to watch as well, so despite the lack of live performances, the team will still get to show off their talents to a wide audience.
“As 2020 comes to a close, we are reminded that nothing in life is guaranteed,” the team’s official Facebook page posted on New Years Eve. “The abrupt end of the winter season gave us a drive and a hope for 2021. That time has come and we are ready for the challenges this new year will bring our guard family.”
_Edited by Sophie Chappell | schappell@themaneater.com _
