Every Saturday, 16 Penn State students spend the weekend dressed in black leotards, twirling flags and dancing to music by Vivaldi.
The Penn State Indoor Guard Team, Eclipse, will spend this weekend competing in the Tournament Indoor Association All Chapter Championships in Wildwood, N.J., against 11 other collegiate teams.
"We work hard, but we always have a good time. It is a very unique interest to have. It is great for me to find people with as much passion for it as I have," said Erin Ortner, Eclipse's president.
The members of Penn State Eclipse Indoor Color Guard have spent more than 10 hours each week rehearsing and perfecting their 2007 show. To prepare for each performance, the members practice their techniques spinning the flags, marching and dancing in unison.
The theme for this season's show is "Gloria," with music by Antonio Vivaldi. Dance instructor Michelle Bertolasio chooses the music for each season and choreographs the dance.
Songs are chosen for each season based on the melody and tempo. The team wears simple black leotards so as not to distract the audience from the performance. The team performs on a tarp with a design, giving the illusion of a stained-glass window, and the flags that the team spins are decorated the same way.
"The season has been great. It was a little rough in the beginning, but we have really improved over the season," Whitney Whitehead (sophomore-supply chain) said.
Every Saturday, the members travel across the state to compete. Eclipse has won three of the nine competitions it has performed in. Last weekend, the team placed first in its class at the Chapter Championships.
"The season has turned out to be a great one -- we have all worked really hard, and it has paid off when we perform. We have a good chance in making it to the finals," Ortner said.
The team was first established at Penn State in 1998. Eclipse is a completely student-run, volunteer organization. The Indoor Color Guard competes nationally in the Independent A class, one of 13 divisions nationally.
"I was involved with the Guard all four years of high school. I knew that when I came to Penn State I wanted to be involved with the team," Ortner said.
