(March 24, 2012, Eden Prairie, Minnesota)
Small ... but mighty! With just 14 member color guards, the
North Star Circuit in
Minnesota has less exposure to the broad inspiration and competitive push that larger guard circuits enjoy. Yet North Star consistently produces excellent units, including two
defending
WGI World Championship finalists — Irondale H.S. (Scholastic A) and MBI (Independent Open).
How do they do it? "As a designer you learn to look at the world around you for inspiration," said long-time Irondale H.S. director Gary Swanson.
"We of course look at the main activity in the nation for reference, but we don't get to see that on a weekly basis. So we look to other things. We find what's intriguing in daily life
and put a twist on it."
Circuit members also try to avoid reinventing the wheel. "We are very willing to help each other and give information," Swanson added. "There's nothing worse
than wasting time on something that somebody already knows how to do."
One week ahead of the circuit championship, the guards gathered at Eden Prairie H.S. for a final regular season contest. All 14 units are pictured here in reverse order of appearance.
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