In the moments of silence, in the moments of anticipation, in the moments where the stage was decorated with prop coral reefs in a myriad of colors, the audience waits for the next performance. As the opening notes start, dancers costumed in purple, pink, and orange took center stage. The bright and familiar tune of “Under the Sea” played as Ayala’s color guard team spun flags and rifles in the air.
From Tuesday, April 1, to Sunday, April 6, Ayala’s color guard team traveled to Dayton, Ohio to perform for the annual Winter Guard International (WGI) Color guard World Championships. This year, our Bulldogs’ performance was titled “The Greatest Barrier,” which illustrates the flow of life under the sea, to the catchy tune of “Under the Sea” from the infamous movie “The Little Mermaid.” For this competition, our Bulldogs’ performances advanced them to the WGI semi-finals.
“To look at the big picture, the biggest award we received was the opportunity to go to Dayton and compete as a world color guard,” Color guard member Ashley Heather (12) said.
Directed by Head Coach Gabe Escobedo, Jessica Rico, Michael Patton, Moises Felix, and Chadd Hartman, the team consists of 18 phenomenal Bulldogs: Co-Captain Caitlyn Chen (12), Co-Captain Yemaya King (12), Co-Captain Alyssa Serafin (12), Max Trinh (12), Ashley Heather (12), Yichen “Angela” Lin (11), Brianna Xie (10), Sarai Murcia (10), Arielle Cheung (10), Nancy Liang (10), Madelyn Mora (10), Kaylee Morrissey (10), Jayda Himes (9), Delilah Zaragoza (9), Mia Torres (9), Jessie Diao (9), and Angel Alcaraz (9).
Our Bulldogs’ performed many different routines throughout the entire competition, making semi-finals, and many on the team feel proud to have made that title, since it has not been achieved since 2019. In addition to performing, Ayala’s color guard team also got to experience the different variety of performances by color guard teams from across the country.
“Our performances were definitely hard, but overall just the adrenaline and the experience of performing is so much fun and extremely exhilarating,” Brianna Xie (10) said. “Being able to hear the applause and screams whilst you’re performing is an amazing feeling that can even fix the worst days. It is definitely an experience I will never forget.”
The feeling of performing in front of a crowd can be nerve-wracking, but as our Bulldogs’ slowly gained confidence throughout their performance, so did the crowd’s validation and applause. The encouragement from the crowd is a constant reminder for the color guard team to always try their hardest and perform with all they have.
Not only was this competition a fun, confidence-building experience, but getting to watch other teams perform their unique choreography, coupled with their colorful costumes, and lively props was exciting for the members.
“This trip enhanced the team’s perspective on color guard across the country, allowing them to see different performers and skills that they could admire,” Color guard Co-Captain Alyssa Serafin (12) said.
To make the experience more memorable, one of the co-captains, Caitlyn Chen (12), received the Fred J. Miller (FJM), Inc. Scholarship, which is awarded to an outstanding color guard performer, totaling $1,000 to the school of her choice. This award was a major accomplishment for Chen as well as the Ayala color guard team as a whole, who got to support her through this joyful moment.
Overall, this competition and trip to Dayton was one where our Bulldogs made high ranks, improved their skills as color guard performers, and made lasting memories.
“I would say it’s all worth it in the end,” Heather said. “All the countless hours we put in for that very moment, there’s nothing better than that.”
