Help Support Alter Ego’s 34th Competing Year

Road to Dayton 2020 You can find Alter Ego Independent World rehearsing just about every weekend from September through April. This is 20 hours of rehearsal each weekend over 30 weekends totaling at about 600 hours, all in preparation for their winter guard production. This includes designing a show, teaching technique and choreography, all through a combination of dance, flags, rifles, sabres, and a theatre-like performance. Alter Ego was established in the Fall of 1986. Initially located in Union City, NJ, the guard took residence in neighboring West New York the following year. While much of the teams competition has been in Connecticut, Alter Ego has also spent some of their years residing in Trumbull, CT as well. The team has now returned to their roots in West New York, NJ. The growth of the team, despite all the moving they’ve done, is enough to show how dedicated our members are. The guard started competition in the Independent A Class, moving into the Independent Open, and now competes in the highest, most proficient class as recognized by Winter Guard International, the World Class. The process of creating a winter guard show, especially in Independent World class, is not cheap. Members pay to be a part of the team and their dues cover expenses such as travel, hotels, regional competitions, uniforms, equipment, practice space for all the hours they practice, and more. As you can imagine, this experience is quite costly for each member and for some, not always manageable. Although our members work hard to pay their dues and stretch each and every dollar, we are asking for donations to help ease their expenses and get them on the road to Winter Guard International’s World competition in April 2020. This team through the years has served as a haven for its urban members, fostering a family environment and learning the meaning of good old fashioned work ethics. As of today our membership extends as far as New Hampshire, Connecticut, Long Island, and Pennsylvania. For some, the expense of travel and hours of driving just to get to rehearsal is a lot. But it is telling of the passion and dedication that the team embodies. No matter how near or far these performers come from it is important to remember that winter guard, while it is a huge part of their lives, is not all they do. Most performers are students working towards a degree, while simultaneously working part-time and then dedicating their entire weekends to compete because this is what they LOVE to do. The season culminates in the final competition of the year in Dayton, Ohio, World Championships. This is the time that our elite members are given the chance to show all they’ve worked for. Although Alter Ego has always done all they could to make every penny count, this year has proven especially difficult. Each donation we receive could mean the difference between making it to this final competition or not. As a group, the feeling of creating and competing together is indescribable. We hope to continue creating this environment and expanding our family for many years to come. From all of us at Alter Ego, we thank you for your continued support and hope that you will consider donating for the continuation of our legacy. By Kelly Bourque Please visit our website at www.alteregowg.org