Marching girls work hard

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33693, 16 November 1974, Page 6

Marching girls work hard

(By

ROBYN HUNT)

.Marching displays like [that performed at the [ Canterbury Show yesterday require a great deal of preparation by the girls taking part, and those behind the scenes.

The gay uniforms and the easy movement are the result of a great deal of practice, and a great deal of careful dressmaking. The 140 girls who took part in the display by 14 ■ marching teams generally i practise twice a week, and often on Saturday, all day if they are practising for a big display fixture. They must be physically fit. I Tne 14 teams, three senior teams, with members aged 16 and over, five junior teams, aged 12 to 15 years, and six midget teams, aged eight to 12, had two rull practices together before the display.

Unitorms are particularly important. Although the girls in the team can choose the design of the uniform, the unitorms must all be identical, so the girls will all look the same when marching. Matching tartans and checks exactly is particularly important. Mrs Vilia Holdem, publicity officer for the Canterbury Marching Centre, said that timing for a display of such a size had to be worked out very carefully. With a set time and a large area it was difficult to judge how long it would take tile girls to cover the area in single file. The tempo of the music must be chosen carefully also, she said. If it was too slow the little girls in the midget teams would not be able to march slowly enough. Each team consists of 10 girls, with two replacements, and it is important for the team to work as a unit. Each team develops its own style of display marching. Marching is not limited to women. About 50 per cent of the instructors are men, often fathers of the girls who are marching. For Mrs Pam Inder, who has been marching for 17

years and who is the leader and instructor of the champion senior team, Skellerup Militaires, marching has been a very satisfying hobby. She said that she enjoyed the

team work. It was good discipline, and it helped the girls to learn to live with other people. Cheryl Watson, leader of the Steelite Kilties, a top

junior team, said her team had practised hard for the display. She enjoyed winning in competition marching and liked the uniform of her team.