Guardie of the week - Marissa

This week's guardie of the week is

Marissa
from Austin, TX

She is apart of the Anderson High school dance guard and winter guard. When she first started dance guard, she was a freshman in high school. In her high school, you had to be in dance guard for a year to try out for their drill team, so she did it since she just couldn't see herself leaving guard. She also may NOT have been the best at it when she was a freshman, but with hard work, dedication, and love, she has absolutely climbed to the top.

 

"I'll be honest, at first, those were my intentions, however, as the season dragged on, I truly fell in love with guard."

 

 She also decided to try out for section leader at the end of her sophomore year and going into her junior year and got it!

"The feeling was phenomenal and throughout the season I was able to grow even more, dance wise and flag wise. Now, I know I'm not perfect, but the meaning of making section leader is something truly important to me. I used to lack self confidence. I was very self conscious about my skills, I would go home defeated everyday telling myself I couldn't do it. I wasn't good enough. But, with the support of my guard family and hard work, I can now truly say that I am happy with myself when it comes to skill level. I even got a solo during the marching season AND winterguard season."

 

Her favorite things about guard are how free she is able to express herself through her movement and flag. Marissa loves how you can get lost in the music and be in your own world while your performing and just enjoy every moment of it. She also loves how you get to share that feeling with her fellow guard members (which are practically family).





her favorite toss is either parallel or tvtv ( I don't know what that last one is)



Her love for guard ties back to her favorite things about it, as she said before, she loves being able to  be lost in the music and express herself through the body and flag.  she loves giving the audience a story to follow with and loves being able to share this feeling with her fellow guard members/family member

 

 

Now , she uses her skills to influence the new members of guard as much as possible. knowing how hard guard can be, many of people's first will not be so confident, but she is out there, sharing her story with them and striving to help them to rise in guard and keep pushing and lets them know they aren't alone. In the future, she see herself hopefully saving enough money to March a few years of DCI (in color guard of course) and then more than just a few years in WGI.

 

"I have truly found my passion and I'm not letting it go now."

Congrats Guardie of the week

Marissa