Bin Xie

The Colorguard team (pictured above) finishes their last performance in Dayton, Ohio with bubbles floating around their bright set. This was the show that earned them the position in World Class, an accomplishment that had not been achieved since 2019.

Upon the audience’s dwindling applause, light and airy notes of a flute resound from the speakers while sparkling figures begin to move in tandem with the rhythm. Vibrant balloons representing bubbles glisten purple, and blue hues against the dim show light while the dancers—with wide smiles etched across their face—roll and toss them gracefully through the air. As they tumble across the floor, the bubbles are nestled in their position and replaced by flags, rifles, and sabers that are spun and caught in sync while a piano starts its melody. The music eventually reaches a slow decrescendo, finally ending with the dancers waving in delight as bubbles stream around them softly. 

This is Ayala High School’s 2024 colorguard show titled “Lighter than Air,” which illustrates the journey of a bubble through the performance’s vivid dance and visuals. During their competitions held throughout Southern California, the colorguard team took home many gold medals and first place awards in the open-class division. After traveling to Dayton, Ohio for this year’s Winter Guard International (WGI) Sport of the Arts Championships, our Bulldogs were able to progress to the highest division of student-leveled competitions: world class. 

“It was really bittersweet because the program was world class I think in 2019, [but] because of COVID, it went down,” said colorguard Co-Captain Bianca Perez (12). “Being a senior and knowing that I was part of the group that brought it back to world [class] felt really accomplishing.” 

Directed by Head Coach Gabe Escobedo, Jessica Rico, Michael Patton, Moises Felix, and Chadd Hartman, the team consists of 16 phenomenal Bulldogs: Co-Captain Bianca Perez (12), Co-Captain Lindsay Shen (12), Sophia Torres (12), Sirena Alvarado (12), Caitlyn Chen (11), Max Trinh (11) Yemaya King (11), Alyssa Serafin (11), Morgan Medina (11), Ashley Heather (11) Yichen “Angela” Lin (10)  Brianna Xie (9), Nancy Liang (9), Arielle Cheung (9), Madelyn Mora (9), Kaylee Morrissey (9). There are also many parents and volunteers who have provided invaluable assistance for every member involved in the colorguard team.

Since last summer, the girls have committed hours of time and effort into the Band and Colorguard’s (BAC) fall season, in addition to their own indoor winter season. After nearly a year together, an unbreakable bond has grown between the Bulldogs that could only be achieved through all the blood, sweat, and tears each team member has dedicated.

“The best memory I’ll probably ever have is during fall season. Whenever we had free time, we would play games,” said member Brianna Xie (9). “It was games [where] we got to learn more about each other and I would never trade that for anything.”

Despite the loving memories of this season, the colorguard members were also faced with many challenges, including balancing practice, competitions, and personal life with studying and school. Through these obstacles, the team has matured in responsibility, teamwork, and most importantly, leadership.

“I’ve learned how to be a leader and that you can’t just expect to be the boss,” Perez said. “You have to talk to your team as if they’re your equal–because they are, ultimately–and you have to be able to lead them in a way that they want to be led, not just bossing them around.”

With the successes of this season, many have high expectations for the upcoming BAC fall season.

“I think I did the best in helping my teammates [whenever] I could if they needed help with personal stuff or stuff in the show,” said member Yemaya King (11). “I hope to be more of a leader to the underclassmen that join.”