Sunset High Auxiliary Skills Camp Trains Color Guard

The Auxiliary Skills Camp at Sunset High School hosted majorettes and color guard performers from across the Dallas Independent School District this summer. The program focuses on students who provide visual support for marching bands, including those who toss batons, spin flags, and direct audience attention across the field.

Kathryn Scott, director of bands at Sunset High School, noted that these performers are often overlooked compared to musicians. She stated that the camp allows them to interact with counselors who teach them to use their equipment effectively. Scott helped launch the program a few years ago after Sunset opened a new music and athletics wing.

The first summer drew approximately 30 students. This year, the camp enrolled 68 participants representing roughly nine campuses.

Daily activities include work on performance skills, dance, and movement. Students then split into smaller groups to focus on specific skills or learn how to create routines to music with varying tempos and styles. The schedule also includes team-building exercises to ensure the group performs as a unit by the final showcase.

Anniya Willard, a 2025 graduate of Wilmer-Hutchins High School, serves as an instructor. She previously performed as a Platinum Girl at Texas Southern University. Willard described the experience as a blessing and noted that she tries to reassure younger students that making mistakes, such as dropping a baton, is acceptable and indicates effort.

Scott observed that students who arrived stiff and quiet were tossing higher and cheering for peers from other schools by the end of the camp. She expressed hope that the steady line of students moving from beginners to leaders, and then to instructors, will inspire campuses without majorette or color guard programs to build their own.

Scott also imagined future summers with more counselors, specialized groups, and alumni instructors.