Mission Statement

Vertigo Indoor Pageantry Arts Association, Inc. exists to advance, guide, and support the development of the winter guard activity in West Virginia, thereby promoting the pageantry arts and providing performance opportunities for the youth in our area.

About Us

Our goal is to provide competitive and non-competitive performing arts activities for youth in West Virginia through our winter guard program, Vertigo Winter Guard. We seek to foster positive experiences for participants by promoting education, inclusion, dedication, leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship, creativity and freedom of expression through performance and the pageantry arts. Vertigo Indoor Pageantry Arts Association is registered with the West Virginia Secretary of State's Office as a non-profit corporation and is licensed to conduct business in the State of West Virginia. For more information on our program, please email us at vertigowinterguard@hotmail.com.

What Is Winter Guard?

“To those who understand, no explanation is needed. To those who do not understand, no explanation is possible."

In marching band, color guards use flags, rifles, and sabers, along with other equipment and costumes to bring color and movement to the production. During the winter season, color guard moves indoors. This activity is called winter guard.

Unlike fall color guard which performs outdoors on a football field, winter guard is performed indoors in a gym or other indoor arena. Guards perform using recordings of various musical selections. The gymnasium floor is covered by a tarp that is designed to reflect the show's theme. Sometimes props are also used to visually communicate the show's theme.

Individual guard units are highly skilled and work to create and perform complex sequences of dance and gymnastics while also using flags, rifles, and sabers, etc. The result is a combination of theater, dance, music, color, gymnastics and acrobatics. The winter guard activity is often called the "sport of the arts". Guard units compete in different divisions according to their age and skill levels. Winter guard competitions take place in regional winter guard circuits

Although winter guard is by definition a sport due to its physical and competitive aspects, it is also considered an art. The performers use the elements of expression, and their equipment to tell a story. The music, and scenery set the stage, and the performer completes the show.

Indoor Percussion

Following in the footsteps of indoor guard ensembles, marching percussion ensembles also move indoors to auditoriums and gymnasiums during the winter months to compete. This is one way they can maintain their skills until the regular marching band season resumes in the fall. These indoor drumlines arrange music and motion appropriate for the indoor setting. Many of these percussion competitions are held in conjunction with the winter guard competitions on the same day before or after the color guard competitions.

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