Are you a new instructor? Are you taking over a program, or building one from scratch? Chances are, you are looking for assistance in building a training program to teach your students the basic foundation on which they can begin to learn choreography.
First, you may want to recruit for your program. This will require some "content creation" time as you build social media accounts, create informational flyers, contact local news outlets, and possibly even pound the pavement to get in front of potential performers and show them what color guard is all about. If you are stepping into a program that already boasts a membership pool, you are in luck because this first step is often the most difficult to get past for many people.
Next, you need to establish a training program. We've discussed that in a step-wise fashion in a previous blog post, but keep in mind there are lots of guard programs out there now that can help you build your own training program! Defining your technique will help your performers to feel they have an identity all their own and give them goals to aim for throughout the season and beyond. One great place to start is with our How To Color Guard series on our YouTube channel - it's completely free and defines the consistent techniques that we use as a part of our winter training program.
Who will be designing your show and writing your choreography? If you are a part of a marching band, this step is often covered by the band director already. New winter guard programs may want to save money by writing their own shows, but there is a lot of value in hiring an experienced show designer to help bring your first production to life. Don't know anyone off-hand? Check with your local circuit and see who they might suggest, or you can hire Spintronix to design your show as well!
Finally, where will you be showcasing your program's talents? Competitions are obviously a great place for this, especially since you will receive feedback from judges that can help you shape the show and the future of the program in years to come. However, community performances such as pep rallies, sporting events, town festivals, and other local venues are a great way to begin and continue recruiting for your team. Get involved with your local marching band and/or winter guard circuit and also talk to members of your community's school district, chamber of commerce, and anywhere else that could potentially set you up for these various performance opportunities.
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