For the first time in years, members of the Santaluces Color Guard qualified to go to State Solo and Ensemble Assessments. Sophomores Ray Benjarara, Jay Marquez, and Senior Melissa Charles all performed flag solos and earned Superiors: the highest grade possible.
“It is definitely a satisfying feeling when hard work gets you somewhere,” said Jay.
State assessments were held at Mariner High School in Cape Cord. The performers picked popular songs such as Diamonds by Rihanna, Skinny Love by Birdy, and Wake Me Up by Chris Brown. The only guideline they had was that the flag cannot leave their hand unless being tossed; other than that it was up to them to wow the judges. All choreography was entirely created by the students, and they were evaluated for the repertoire, excellence and general effect of their performances.
“We looked up videos online and took work from previous shows to make our performances,” said Melissa.
The Color Guard has made great progress in the past year. With only one member last year, they grew to five this marching season and are expected to grow more in years to come. Earning three superiors at the state level proves that they are moving “from zero to hero,” in Dr. Crocco’s words.
“I am extremely proud because this is the first year in a long while for Color Guard solos to go to state, and for them to get superiors is amazing,” said Dr. Crocco. “In a word, they were truly outstanding.”
