Color Guard

About The Guard

Color guard is a beautiful performance art form and activity that combines pageantry, theatre, dance and the use of equipment.

The Mead High School Color Guard is a group of talented, bright, and active students that enjoy the friendship, tradition, excellence, travel, and family environment they experience.

The video speaks to the special qualities of this activity - Please enjoy!

Meet Our Coach

Dan Nguyen

Color Guard Director

Dan was introduced to color guard as an activity his junior year of high school. Without a marching band, he was drawn by the artistry and uniqueness of guard. Throughout the years, Dan has spent much of his time spinning with the Rhapsody Winterguard organization. He has spent two years spinning with Rhapsody Prelude (IRA) and three years with Rhapsody Open (IO) between 2012-2017. Dan has also spent two summers with the Seattle Cascades Drum Corps, serving as a co-captain his second year in 2014. Aside from performing in color guard, Dan has served as a coach for Cascade

High School and Kamiak High School. He has also been color guard director for Ferndale High School and Hillcrest High School (CA). This is Dan’s first year with the Mead Color Guard and he is excited to continue the culture of excellence and hard work that he has admired throughout his color guard career. His passion for teaching does not stop at color guard and dance - Dan is also a music educator in the Spokane area and has taught kids K-12 in general music, band, orchestra, and choir for the past six years. He has a BMus in Music Education from Western Washington University, a MMus in Music Education from Eastern Washington University, and is currently working on his National Boards certification.

Performance and Rehearsal Information

Beginning in the fall of 2020, the color guard program will be exclusively an extra-curricular activity. Our hopes are to provide a fall, winter, and spring season that will include marching band season, winter guard/recital season, and spring parade season.

Performance opportunities include travel to marching band competitions, varsity home football games, school assemblies, winter guard competitions, stage performances, special event trips, and community events.

In August the group begins rehearsals for the fall production. This includes an overnight retreat, and a couple of weeks for two-a-day rehearsals also know as "band camp". There are required after school rehearsals that take place during the months of September and October. The group also rehearses on a couple of Saturdays in the month of September and travels to competitions throughout October.

In late November, or December, our focus shifts to the winter season. We hope this will look like a traditional winter guard season with 2 to 3 rehearsals per week, some weekend rehearsals, and travel to winter guard competitions throughout the Pacific NW in late February and March. We have also used this time to prepare for special event trips. Special event trips occur every couple of years and in recent years those have included trips to Disney World, Disneyland and Vancouver, B.C.

Our spring focus will typically be lighter in terms of the demand of the schedule. It will include auditions, a few parade rehearsals, the Lilac Parade in Spokane, WA., and possibly a special event trip.

Rehearsal Dress Code

Shirt straps must be at least 1" thick
Shorts must be longer than your fingertips when your arms are resting at your side
Sports bras are preferred
Hair must be up, this includes bangs pinned up.
Tennis shoes must be worn to every rehearsal. The shoes must tie or velcro. Please use athletic or work out-type shoes. Do not wear slip on shoes or flip flops.

Items to Bring to Rehearsal

Water - and lots of it! Most people find the gallon size insulated coolers to be the best!
Any equipment that you have checked out in your name, otherwise we are not guaranteed to have enough for everyone.
Sunscreen - We will be outside most days for extended amounts of time.
Sunglasses, hat and/or visor. Squinting in the sun is not a good look for anyone :)

Items to Purchase

There are a few basic items needed in addition to the season marching band fees (travel, provided food, warm ups, etc.). Additional information about season fees is released at the annual information meeting in June.

Guard Specific Items - Please obtain the following items on your own:

Black Jazz Shoes. These can be purchased at Empire Dance in downtown Spokane or most dance shops online.
A roll of electrical tape. If your last name starts with A thru L, please buy white electrical tape, M thru Z buy black electrical tape.
ASB Card - One time purchase each year. This covers any activity that requires and ASB Card such as school dances, athletic events, etc.
Rifle section members need clear strapping tape as well.

The following items will be ordered by the school as a group:

Warm ups - New students to the guard will need to purchase guard warm ups. These will be used as the weather changes in the Fall and act as an alternate uniform; most commonly used as a group at competition awards retreats. Warm ups will be charged to each students ASB account at the school.

The following items are recommended items:

Weapons Gloves (rifles and/or sabres) - Nude or Flesh colored Fingerless weapons gloves
- Popular brands include FJM, Blade Runner, Style Plus.
- Can be purchased online at the Bandshoppe, McCormick's Band Supply or Fred J. Miller Inc.
Weapons Equipment - These make great birthday or holiday gifts :)
- Sabres - We use Excalibur Sabres that are 36 inches in length.
- Rifles - We use Elite Rifles that are 36 inches in length with black straps and black bolts.
  - Can be purchased online at the Bandshoppe, McCormick's Band Supply or Fred J. Miller Inc.