Volunteer graduates create new winter guard in Hawkins County

HAWKINS COUNTY — Jenna Ratliff wanted her winter guard to stick out in its first year. She and Mickenzy Lewis, recent graduates of Volunteer High School and its color guard, decided to found Birds of a Feather Independent to bring a local, affordable, Christian guard to Hawkins County. Winter guard is a competitive performance sport where members spin flags and replica weapons called sabers and rifles. It's the cousin of color guard; instead of performing alongside a marching band, winter guard is indoors with pre-recorded music — and the guard becomes the main attraction. Ratliff and Lewis were teaching color guard at David Crockett High School in Washington County when an idea for their winter guard's first routine "came out of nowhere," Ratliff said. They're both fans of the "Twilight" movies, which follow the love triangle between a human, a vampire and a werewolf. Why not do something with that? They began poring over the movies' soundtracks. There's "Supermassive Black Hole," an alternative rock song by Muse. It features during a scene in the first "Twilight" where the vampires play baseball. As such, Birds of a Feather will wear black and white baseball uniforms and spin Louisville Sluggers. Most of the guard's six-minute performance, however, is dedicated to "Rosyln" by Bon Iver and St. Vincent. This melancholic ballad debuted in the second "Twilight" movie. Guard members will quick-change into red and white outfits. Ratliff said the color scheme plays a large role in the piece's storytelling. The performance explores the human's two choices — expressed by the winter guard through two songs, two costumes and two flag silks. "We wanted to tell a story with our show, rather than just a feeling," Ratliff said. "It's easier to connect with a show — to produce the right emotions through your face, your bodies, even through your tosses — when you have a story to tell." The guard began practicing the first week of December. They had "a bit of a rocky start" nailing down a place to practice, Ratliff said, and still won't move to a proper gymnasium until January. The group has five members coming from Church Hill, Western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia. Ratliff said they wanted a small guard for Birds of a Feather's first year to help build camaraderie. As an independent winter guard, the group is open to members aged 16 to 22 years old. That age demographic is why Birds of a Feather focuses on its own affordability. "[The cost of winter guard] can be really difficult, especially because most kids are college-aged or still in high school," Ratliff said. "Our members [only] pay for their uniforms. We've been crowdfunding the rest." She said Birds of a Feather has gotten the money needed to register for competitions, but still needs funds for items like the custom flag silks. The guard's biggest struggle so far, Ratliff said, has been with finances. They've held multiple bake sales and have an online fundraiser at gofundme.com/f/fund-birds-of-a-feathers-journey. In November, they hosted a tea party fundraiser, but not many people attended. "That was kind of a gut punch," Ratliff said. "We thought, 'Well, maybe we're not supposed to do this.' But our families kept pushing us: 'You've already started, you have people who want to do this, you've got to keep going.'" Birds of a Feather's first competition is on Jan. 24. Ratliff said that if the season goes well, she and Lewis plan to grow the group's community involvement through volunteering and performances. "So many winter guards stay in the winter guard bubble," Ratliff said. "That isn't a bad thing, but it's such a beautiful art form and sport. [We want to] share winter guard with people who might not know it."