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Claire Keane
roma★
Misplaced Lens Cap
hello vonnie
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$LAYYYTER
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@calmconcentration
Fourteen years.
Fourteen years ago today, I was probably in the back of a basics block willing myself invisible as I faked my way through drop spins or stumbled through a single-flag swing flag feature. Today, I walked into a big-name WGI world class program as their resident flag specialist.
It’s good to look back every once in a while for some perspective. I’m pretty damn proud.
Don’t teach what you don’t know.
Hi, color guard instructors. You know what’s literally insane? Attempting to teach things you don’t understand.
I understand that a lot of people think I’m a WGI elitist - and I am. I will admit that if you have not marched professional indoor guard I do not think you’re appropriately qualified to direct. I said direct - I don’t think every teacher in our activity has to have a WGI background, just the person who’s responsible for overseeing the education of the students. Those of us who have dedicated years to an elite guard experience don’t know everything there is to know and certainly can’t and shouldn’t teach everything - the difference is that we have the education, resources, and experience to know what we don’t know and move forward from there.
But I digress. I’m all about people wanting to teach color guard, but you can’t just fucking walk around making things up and hoping for the best without injuring someone, embarrassing someone, or causing a whole lot of resentment from a student who thinks she has a shot at a spot with her dream guard only to show up and not be able to even understand what they’re asking of her.
If you’re going to educate, take that responsibility seriously and arm yourself with knowledge: instructional videos by reputable sources, the WGI educational videos for technique, the color guard forums on facebook, your local winter guard and color guard circuit websites, design and instructor clinics and camps, spin clinics by big name programs, students studying dance at the local college or even the high school dance teacher, the judges you see... use everything you can and learn everything you can. The more you know, the better prepared you are to teach or find someone to help you teach, and you’ll feel much more in control of your program and ready to navigate the season.
A gentle reminder to myself before walking into a new opportunity.
So you want to march independent.
Every year around this time I get a ton of messages from people interested in marching for their first time in independent WGI who are looking for advice. I thought I’d make a (probably long) post with the information I find to be the most important - hopefully this helps y’all as we go through audition season.
Step 1: Know What You’re Signing Up For
- Before you do anything else, it’s time for brutal honesty hour. Can you commit the time and money it takes to march? Before you know the schedule or see the financial contract, you should assume you’re giving up every weekend between October and April and spending over $1,000. Independent winter guard is not for the casual fan of the marching arts. You have to be willing to sacrifice your resources and make it work. If you’re still with me, keep reading.
- If you don’t know where you’d like to march, use the WGI website program finder and/or your local circuit member list as a way to find a list of programs nearby. Watch their shows, consider the difficulty level in their work and choreo, attend spin clinics or experience camps if available. Join audition interest groups online. Fill out membership interest forms. Put yourself on the radar of the group or groups you’re interested in.
- Don’t overaudition. You’re not impressing anyone or making yourself look like a hot commodity by attending 3847 auditions - a vast majority of directors would rather your interest be in their program, not any program. I’m not saying don’t explore your options, but I wouldn’t audition for more than two programs.
- How will you get to/from rehearsal every weekend? Do you live close enough to the region that you can go home, or do you need housing? Can you carpool, house others, or be housed with a friend? Do you need help arranging something because you don’t know anyone at all? It is completely possible to march and rely on others to help you with rides/housing, but it’s your responsibility to identify and express your needs. Be active in helping yourself (look up your own train schedule, offer gas money, show appreciation via baked goods, whatever). Be responsible for checking and double checking that your plans are all set. Sharing rides and housing is a huge part of the winter guard experience and I wouldn’t trade it for the world - it’s how I’ve met some of my best friends. Just remember that it’s all about compromise and flexibility.
Step 2: Audition Prep
- Make sure you’re following your program(s) of choice on social media and you’ve filled out any membership interest form/application they put up on their website. They’ll post everywhere about auditions: the dates and times, location, fee, whether food will be provided, whether there’s anything specific you need to do or bring beforehand, etc. Memorize that information and make sure your logistics are all in order the week of.
- Make sure you have and are following their attire requests. Almost every program ever asks for auditionees to wear form-fitting rehearsal blacks with their hair pulled out of their face (regardless of gender). Some programs will request a certain hairstyle (low bun, ponytail). Let’s talk about this for a hot second: black means plain black, and form-fitting means hugging the lines of your body. A thick strapped tank top and ankle length leggings are perfect audition attire. If you’ve got boobs, find a bra that will hold them down during dance block and make sure you wear it before the audition so you know it isn’t going to hurt you. If you’ve got a dick, wear compression shorts (don’t wear your dance belt or you’ll cut off all your circulation during a 12 hour day). A small logo or something is fine on your audition clothes but do not be the person to show up in a shirt with neon lettering on their chest and a word on their butt. Make sure your hair is neat and in a style that will hold through an entire block without you having to touch it. I know techs who will personally re-do your hair for you in front of the block if you fidget with it too much while they’re teaching. You do not want to be that person.
- Unless the program you’re interested in says something specific about tattoos or jewelry, this is the industry standard: Tattoos do not need to be covered for an audition, stud or small hoop facial piercings do not need to be removed, nail polish is fine. Take off all of your other jewelry before walking in the door. A tiny bit of makeup is okay (waterproof, clearly) to cover a blemish or whatever, but don’t show up in your full face. You want them to see you as a blank canvas - if the show is about hobos and you show up in your glam look, it’s hard to imagine you as a cast member. Help them look at you the right way.
- As far as preparing for the audition itself, here’s the thing: the whole point is that you’re not going to know the content of the audition until it happens. The evaluation panel wants to see how you adapt to their style, learn, and work through things. Don’t stress out too hard about it - every single person there is walking in blind. It’s an even playing field. What you CAN and SHOULD do to prepare is make sure your technique is strong and consistent. Stretch, work out your core, and do cardio regularly. Make sure you know the fundamentals of ballet and can execute said fundamentals with correct technique - and please know what each basic skill is called. I’m not asking you to speak fluent french but too many people don’t know which one is an air torre and which one is a torre jete and those things are very different. You should be regularly working through your flag and primary piece of equipment fundamentals for strength and consistency purposes. Be hard on yourself. Make sure you don’t have a pitch when you spin, make sure you can get through more thumb flips than you think is reasonable, and make sure you everything you release has the right free arm and a solid catch. I’d cut someone who can do a sloppy 7 before I’d cut someone who can do solid 6′s. No matter what piece of equipment you’re auditioning for (weapons, I’m looking at you), almost all programs audition everyone on ensemble dance and flag in addition to auditioning people on their primary equipment. If you’re a flag or dancer, your flagline or danceline audition will be much more rigorous than the ensemble audition. Don’t try out for one of those lines thinking it’s somewhere to hide in the background - you’ll be expected to display superior knowledge of said area.
Step 3: The Audition Itself
- Show up 15-20 minutes early, having already eaten breakfast (you have to eat) and prepared with your audition fee and/or whatever else they’ve asked of you. Speak clearly and be friendly with the people working registration - they’re either alumni, vets, or administrative staff, and no matter which of those categories they fall into you want them to like you.
- If you are under 18, there is a strong possibility there will be a waiver your legal guardian has to sign. If your guardian won’t be there the day of, ask a staff member beforehand if there’s anything an adult will need to sign for you that morning.
- Don’t walk into the gym and throw your best trick. I mean it. Don’t do it. No one likes the show off or the kid who thinks they’re the best one in the room. Put down your stuff, fill out any paperwork they’ve given you, read any materials they’ve given you, maybe stretch a little or use the bathroom, whatever. Vets and staff members will probably be walking around greeting people. Engage with them.
- You’ll either get a number (remember what your number is, you might be called by that number later) or a nametag (or both). Write what you prefer to be called on the nametag, but if your real name is very different (like you’re Joe but you prefer to be called Zorb or some shit) write your real name in parenthesis below it. More than once I’ve tried to find someone via membership form and couldn’t because the name they introduced themselves with was so completely different from their actual name.
- For the love of christ, turn your phone to silent and make sure there’s no alarm that’s going to go off in the middle of block or something.
- The audition will most likely mimic a regular winter guard rehearsal: stretching, movement (across the floors, center floor technique class, an audition piece), ensemble flag (technique and audition piece), and primary line (technique, audition piece). Don’t worry about the outcome of the day or what’s coming later so hard that you lose focus on the present. Give your current block your full attention and you’ll have a great audition.
- Don’t try to hide in the back of the block. Some programs will straight up prevent this by putting a row of vets in the back and around the sides so you’re forced to be visible. Remember that you’re there to audition which means you’re there for them to see you. Fake some confidence and stop trying to hide.
- Make sure to be observant. If you’re doing technique block and all of the people around you move their feet into first position, do that too. If they’re preparing for pole hits and the person demonstrating is at an angle, go to an angle. Don’t ask questions that could be avoided by using your eyeballs. They will judge you for that.
- You’re going to fuck up. Accept it before you walk in. You’ll mess up a sequence or drop a toss or forget a chunk of a ditty during show and tell. It will happen. It happens to everyone, it’s expected, no one is offended by your error but you. Do not let it affect you. Learn to accept a correction, self-tech when corrections aren’t given, move on, and do the next thing better. If you get frustrated or freaked out enough that you feel as though you need to cry, go to the bathroom. I cannot stress this enough - tears are no good in the gym on audition day. Take a private moment to breathe, cry, jump up and down, whatever... and then come back with a clean face and a positive attitude.
- The 24 hour rule is real. You will be better on the second day of auditions than you were on the first - that’s why most winter guard programs have two day auditions. Your brain needs rest and processing time. Don’t leave day one and go practice all night. Rest. Distract yourself. Come back ready to go. It’ll be easier.
Step 4: What’s Next?
- Some programs will hand you a contract and tell you you’ve made it. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING, EVER, WITHOUT READING AND UNDERSTANDING IT. No program worth being in will demand you sign their contract on the spot - that is a legal document which obligates you to pay dues, attend events, maybe even look a certain way or follow specific lifestyle rules... read it in full and make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.
- Some programs will simply give out callbacks at the first weekend. Not getting contracted immediately is of no concern whatsoever. There should not be another audition fee for attending a callback - do not go somewhere that charges twice. That’s just a money grab and a sign that the program doesn’t have your best interest in mind.
- Again, it’s time to reflect with brutal honesty. Did you like the atmosphere, did you handle the emotions of the weekend well/are you going to put yourself through hell to achieve what they’re asking or can you push through it, do you want to take another weekend to be sure, can you commit to the schedule, locations, dues, and rules they’ve laid out? Do you feel you have a pretty good understanding of what you’re signing up for? Don’t commit to anything before you answer those questions.
- If you’ve gotten into your program of choice, celebrate and be proud - and humble. Your actions from the minute you sign that contract will be considered a direct reflection of the program you’ve joined, and the staff and vet members will take that very seriously. Most programs have rules about professionalism off the floor which they’ll expect you to follow to the letter. Be careful on social media until you know what the standard is.
Happy September, y’all. I hope this ramble has been helpful to some of you, and may the odds be ever in your favor this season.
No one understands how old I am, part 85745.
"Where were you on 9/11?” “Taking a spelling test.” “... wait,were you even alive?”
Yeah I was taking a womb spelling test as you do and then I saw the news on my womb TV just like everyone else. What the fuck kind of follow up question is this and why are you so bad at age that you’re not sure if I’m over 17?
Zumba, the sequel
In shocking news, I still move like the most basic of white girls.
I’m not ready for this weather.
We think we’re funny.
Already proud to be a part of this season and the fun has just barely started.
Thought that I was cool but now I’m fucking freezing
The Door is Lava
Gal Pals
This is almost definitely what Robbie thinks lesbian sex looks like.
Happy Wednesday.
I’m not a doctor but I’m 100% sure that level of paranoia is indicative of brain damage.
I would be much less stressed if I were just exaggerating the level of incompetence here for social media.
(Yeah I know the reason you don’t have to PM me to tell me)
I need this long weekend to last about three weeks longer.
I cannot wrap my head around why this is on the guest room dresser and my only guess is that this is my mom expressing herself...? More power to her I guess. I’m sure the sign puts visitors totally at ease.