Groundbreaking shows are not always the ones that finish first, but they always have a lasting impact on the direction of the sport many years after their final performance.

In this ongoing series, FloMarching has asked one of color guard's top experts, Courtney Allyson Mills, to take a look back at some of WGI's most influential shows.

Courtney Allyson Mills has taught color guard and dance at over 150 high schools and universities. A two-time WGI gold medalist with The Company and a DCI finalist with Carolina Crown, she is also the founder and facilitator of ColorguardEDU.

Everybody 1996

Everybody was one of those color guards that audience members used to make a point to see. Coming from the Northwest, this group always walked onto the floor with a unique perspective on the pageantry arts — and 1996 was no different.

The entire set is in teals, greens, and blues. Incredibly tall props surround the floor and two performers are engaged with their characters far before the starting announcement is made. As the music begins, the performers move toward the back corner of side one, where there is a golden gate. The pair opens the gate to reveal a soloist, wearing an intricate and beautiful costume. 

Entering the space is a peacock-like performer. An elegantly choreographed strut takes this performer downstage on a diagonal to the center of the floor. Another peacock appears and the pair faces off in a detailed dance of natural hierarchy. While these two are dueling, four other peacock performers enter the space, and all six make their way into a horizontal line across the stage to reveal their massive tail feathers for the audience to see.

This opening "show" of costuming, character, and detail promises the audience an experience never before seen at a color guard event. After the initial "reveal" of these magnificent costumes, sabres enter the floor in a cleverly characterized way. Using bird-like gestures and choreography, the performers continue to saturate the arena with this stunning motif.

The music is light and regal, providing the perfect soundtrack for the feeling of the show. Before the rifle entrance, the tempo picks up, as does the energy. Sticking to the motif, the rifles arrive and show off their skills to the sabres, who are sitting on the floor and ticking their heads side to side, enjoying the rifles' moment.

As the show progresses, there are obvious moments of choreographed detail that help the audience members forget they are in an arena. Every moment is another opportunity for this color guard to create nuance, and they don’t waste a second. The staging is smart, fluid, and helps direct the audience where to look.

The intricacy of the costuming in this particular Everybody show raised the stakes within the color guard activity. Each performer's costume is a different style and individually detailed with peacock feathers. This combined with the commitment to motif from beginning to end assisted Everybody in becoming one of the most loved color guards of the '90s.

WGI's Most Influential Shows Of All Time:

Blue Devils 1996

By Courtney Allyson Mills