It’s not often that Color Guard is accessible to people of all ages, but we believe it’s an athletic art form that belongs to everyone. There’s something so magical about flags moving through the air together creating synchronized movements with the beat of the music. If you’ve spun before you know there’s nothing like it!
We were very excited to talk to Zeng (he/him), founder of Fierce Grace, about what drove to the start of the Color Guard.
Describe what a Color Guard is?
Color Guard is an athletic art form that combines synchronized choreography with equipment such as flags and stylized weapons. It’s a fusion of dance, movement, pageantry, theater, and music. Often, you’ll find Color Guards as part of marching bands, but there is also a competitive segment of the activity known as Winter Guard, which has its own competitive circuits and shows just like dance, cheerleading, etc. Our group is non-competitive, and unlike most groups out there, open to all ages and LGBTQ+ centered.
Tell us how you came up with the idea of forming the Color Guard?
My dream is to make the magic of Color Guard accessible to everyone, especially Queer and Trans community members. My partner and I used to live in Seattle, and we participated in an amazing Color Guard group called SpinOut, part of the Rainbow City Band, an LGBTQ+ marching band that performs in parades and community events. I had an incredible experience there that was completely different from the competitive Color Guard I spun with in high school. The peer-led, co-creative environment was miles away from the stressful, competitive, instructor-as-drill-sergeant energy that is so common with Guards (which are after all descended from militaries). For me, Color Guard as a performing art is inherently radical in that it takes historically militaristic elements like drill, flags, rifles, and sabres, and transforms them into beautiful experiences that bring people together.
So, when we moved to San Diego a few years ago, I wanted the same experience I had gotten at SpinOut but could not find any comparable groups here. Last fall, I applied for and got a grant from the Awesome Foundation to create an LGBTQ+ centered, non-competitive, all ages group in San Diego, to make Color Guard accessible to the community here! It’s been a wonderful experience so far.
How many members are in the Guard?
We’re just a few months old, so we don’t have an official member roster yet, but a couple dozen folks have come through to our meetups so far! There are six of us who will be performing at the Pride Festival.
Tell us about the excitement building up for the Pride performance?
My co-choreographer Kyler and I have been teaching our routines, and the group has been rehearsing every week for some time now! Everything is coming together so beautifully, especially as this will be our first official performance together as a group, and half of the performers are new to the activity. I’m so proud of everyone’s commitment and presence. It takes a lot to show up and learn something new, not to mention put yourself out there as a performer at Pride. I’m so excited to show the community what we’ve co-created!
Where will the performance take place?
We’ll be at the Festival via the Pan-Asian Night Market stage, on Saturday, July 16th at 3:40pm! Come on time as it’s not a very long performance – or just come early to support the other fantastic acts.
You can see the Festival Schedule here: https://sdpride.org/schedule/#/
How can someone join, do they need previous experience?
No experience is needed! We have meetups every Tuesday evening at a park in Normal Heights and welcome all LGBTQ+ folks as well as allies who respect our identities. Right now, our rehearsals are temporarily closed to new members as we’re focused on getting ready for Pride, but our next community meetup that anyone can attend will be on Tuesday, July 26th!
Where can people get more information?
You can join our group and sign up for meetups at https://www.meetup.com/san-diego-queer-color-guard/ ! Or just search “San Diego Queer Color Guard” on Meetup.com. We’re also in the process of getting on social media, so feel free to be an early follower of @sdqueercolorguard on Instagram.
