EP Color Guard youth summer camp July 8-11, new cadet guard this fall

Eden Prairie High School’s (EPHS) Color Guard program is now expanding to include younger kids, with the launch of a summer camp next month and a new cadet guard program in the 2024-25 school year.

EPHS Color Guard will host a Summer Dance and Flag Camp for students in grades three to seven. The camp aims to encourage greater interest in the program and provide a fun summer opportunity. It is gender-neutral and all-inclusive, with everyone welcome and encouraged to attend.

Camp will be July 8-11 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. each day, at the EPHS Activities Center. The cost is $50 to be paid at the door. More information and registration instructions can be found at this link.

No prior experience is necessary for the camp, which is designed to appeal to dancers, performers, musicians, athletes, and anyone curious about color guard. EPHS Color Guard staff and performance team members will work with students to advance their skills and create a showcase to be performed at the end of the week.

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Cadet program to launch this fall

Olivia Sims coaches the high school’s color guard program, along with Josh Boettcher, Amber Killian, and Stacie Kammerling. 

Sims is a longtime color guard competitor, having participated in programs for 13 years, starting in secondary school. She said she’s excited for the camp and for cadet guard.

“In the past, we’ve had students in grades six to 12 be part of the winter season,” she said. “Now, cadet guard will give younger students in grades three to seven the opportunity to do this, too.”

Sims explained that color guard is a combination of dance, performance, and theater and uses props such as flags, rifles, and sabers.

“It has its roots in the military but is more art. In fact, sometimes color guard is called ‘the sport of the arts,'” she said. “It’s very athletic but also very artistic.”

Color guard is considered a school activity at EPHS and is not a Minnesota State High School League sport. It has a summer/fall season during which they perform with the marching band at football games, the Minnesota State Fair, and weekend competitions.

In the winter, EPHS Color Guard competes in the North Star Circuit and Winter Guard International against high schools like Lakeville, Minnetonka, Roseville, and Irondale. Cadet guard will likely practice at Central Middle School in the evenings and will also compete in the North Start Circuit, Sims said.

Sims explained that color guard performances are about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes long. In competitions, teams are evaluated by a panel of five judges who give points for general effect, technique, equipment, and movement.

Sims said the color guard community is welcoming and fun. “The kids are all very supportive of each other,” she said. “They all want everyone to do well.”

Sims encouraged any students who think color guard might be fun to give it a try, and recommended the camp as a low-pressure way to try it out. “The easiest part of starting out with our camp and cadet guard is that everyone is starting out at zero,” she said. “Nobody’s done it before.”

People interested in the camp or older students who want to learn more about joining the high school team can contact EdenPrairieHSColorGuard@gmail.com or follow the team on Instagram and Facebook.