How to Do Flourishes in Color Guard

Flourishes are a staple of any color-guard team and can be used with any piece of equipment. A simple whipping motion of the wrist sends the flag or rifle spinning in front of the body. This technique is used to connect moves and create more elaborate sequences.

Instructions

    • 1

      Hold your equipment in one hand with your arm held straight out in front of you. You want to have a firm grip on your flag or rifle so the weight is evenly balanced. Hold a flagstaff just below the flag material itself. Hold a rifle at the neck.

    • 2

      Twist your wrist slowly in a figure-eight formation.

    • 3

      Move each section of your flag or rifle on either side of your arm. This will take some practice, and you may want to adjust where you hold the flag or the rifle to make the flourishes more comfortable.

    • 4

      Work on your flourishes while moving. Incorporate it into marches and walking forward and backward to stay consistent with your speed while you work to improve your agility.