Natalie Hudson is a freshman and in the Coppell High School Colorguard. She’s just like any other member, except she spins and performs with only one hand.

Officially, the first day of summer is June 20th, the summer solstice.  But for those marching drum corps, their summer training begins this weekend.  The grueling hours of move-ins start back up on Saturday for most corps.

In the drum corps world, move-ins is the part of the season where the members rehearse all day, every day at their home rehearsal site.  It marks the beginning of the summer marching season and for most members it is the most difficult part of the summer.

Glassmen Alumnus and Memphis Sound staff member Bethany Longcrier says its the long hours of practice during move-ins that really add up.

“Going from sun up to sun down and knowing that schedule is going to be the same every day is the hardest part for me,” said Longcrier.

The duration of move-ins varies from corps to corps.  Most will last until the middle of June, approximately four weeks.  During this time, a drum corps will practice technique and basics while also learning their competitve marching show.  Physical training is also thrown into the mix.

One important aspect of the weeks of rehearsing is technique training.  A color guard will spend hours working on basic technique in dance, flag, rifle and sabre.  This ensures that every member spins exactly the same and works to perfect that technique.  The practice is often tedious and challenging both physically and mentally.

The drum corps also learns their entire show during move-ins.  Atleast the first couple of versions of it.  Staff members are known for using a method of trial-and-error to perfect the marching show, so that the end result in August is the best it could be.

“Move-ins are definitely the hard part, but it’s worth it once you get on tour because then you get to show off what you’ve been working on,” said Longcrier.

Emmy award winning choreographer Mia Michaels took part in the 2008 Winter uard International World Championships experience by attending World Class Finals. She enjoyed VIP seating and a warm welcome from the crowd.

Michaels got her first taste of color guard at the 2007 Spinfest on September 14-15 in Orlando, Florida, at the Buena Vista Palace Resort and Spa. She was one of several guest clinicians at the educational event. At Spinfest, Michaels led movement classes and interacted with a live demonstration of color guard ensembles followed by questions and answers.

“Mia Michaels was a natural choice to bring into our learning community and inspire those coming to Orlando to reach for new heights within their own programs,” said Ron Nankervis, WGI Chief Executive Officer prior to Spinfest. “We are all very excited that attendees will hear from such a creative and gifted choreographer, as well as share our activity with someone in the arts community as prominent as Ms. Michaels.”

Michaels said she embraced the activity as a fusion of dance and equipment to which in her experience, she had rarely seen before.

Michaels is a choreographer and judge on the hit show “So You Think You Can Dance,” choreographer for Cirque du Soleil’s live music concert tour, “Delirium”; and also in the long running Las Vegas theatrical production of “Celine Dion…A New Day”, at Ceasars Palace.

Drum Corps International’s spring cinema event for 2008 titled “The Countdown” will be playing in theaters across the country April 24th at 7:30 p.m.

The show will feature six full-length corps performances from among the 36 DCI World Championship finalists of 2005, 2006 and 2007. It will be showing in over 300 theaters nationwide.

At the beginning of March, DCI asked fans to cast their vote on which performances deserved to be in the top six to be broadcast on the big screen. Thousands of voters submitted their opinions and selected the following shows:

The drum corps featured in “The Countdown” are:

2007 Blue Devils – 1,100 votes

2007 Blue Coats – 1,062 votes

2005 The Cadets – 1,143 votes

2007 Carolina Crown – 2,137 votes

2006 Cavaliers – 2,006 votes

2006 Phantom Regiment – 1,639

2007 Anaheim Kingsmen Alumni – Exhibition

DCI’s “The Countdown” event is part of an overall campaign in preparation for the 2008 summer season. The promotional event has already had great success as tickets are selling out theaters across the country.

Here are some local theaters in the Denton/Dallas area showing “The Countdown”:

Vista Ridge Mall, Lewisville

Tinseltown, Grapevine

Tinseltown USA, Plano

Cinemark 17 (Imax), Dallas

Cinemark Legacy, Plano

Northpark 15, Dallas

Pictures from DCI.org

Fantasia Independent World Winterguard’s 2008 program titled “The White Table of Youth” was one of the most talked about shows of the season in Winter Guard International.

The performers’ movement and technical skills reached a realm few guards have been able to reach in WGI history. But even more astonishing is the fact that the group never used a single flag during the entire program, only sabres and rifles.

The overall design and concept of the show was not only bold and daring, but innovative and intriging. With a plain black floor and the cast clad in elegant white uniforms, the program seemed to weave a story of youth and maturity.

A stark white table at one corner of the floor was accompanied by a single white rocking chair at the opposite corner. The performers “brought everything to the table,” metaphorically and literally speaking, during the show.

Respected blogger David Hill acclaimed Fantasia as Field and Floor’s 2008 Color Guard of the Year.

““Reflections on Youth” provided an immediate and pivotal description of the future of the Independent World arm of color guard,” said Hill. “That it raised the height of the bar this far: inevitable.”

The judges at WGI World Championships seemed to have agreed with Hill. Fantasia scored an astounding 99.50, barely missing the all time record high of 99.55, scored by the Blue Devils Winter Guard in 1996.

Fantasia Winter Guard, part of Riverside Community College in Riverside, CA, has won six World Championships since 1995.

For many performers, aging out of Winter Guard International is an emotional time. And their last trip to Dayton, OH for World Championships marks the end of an era.

Sadaf Faghihifar, captain of Black Gold Independent Open Winterguard, has just experienced her last performance in the Dayton Arena. She talks about her years with Black Gold and hopes for the future.

134 Scholastic “A” winter guards competed at this year’s Winter Guard International World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. Texas’ own Flower Mound High School Varsity Winter Guard was among those groups traveling to Dayton in hopes of a moment to shine in the spotlight.

Performing to Chopin’s Nocturne, the girl’s grace and elegance not only carried them to the finals round, but earned them the title of fifth in the nation in Scholastic “A” Class.

But the road to success was not an easy one. The members of Flower Mound Winter Guard worked hard at rehearsals to prepare for the big competition. Captains Deanna Reed and Lauren Clifton talk about their season and excitement for WGI.