The Special Needs Color Guard of America (originally the Florida Special Needs Color Guard) was a performance ensemble based in Tamarac, Florida. It was founded in 1999 by its director, Ellen Kleinert-Cohn,[1] and was composed of children and young adults with special needs such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, various learning disabilities, and attention-deficit disorder. The group performed annually at the Winter Guard International World Championships in Dayton, Ohio, and was the feature of the 2007 documentary, A True Lesson in Humanity.[2] It was the first-ever special needs color guard in the world. The group disbanded in 2009.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
The Florida Special Needs Color Guard made its first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade appearance in the 2006 Parade, providing background choreography to Natalie Grant as she performed “Believe” from The Polar Express during the NBC broadcast. The performance, aptly, took place on the film’s float, which featured the Polar Express bustling down a snowy mountaintop. The color guard only marched three blocks of the Parade route, joining the lineup shortly before its finish at Macy’s Herald Square.[1]
In 2008, the Special Needs Color Guard of America made their second Parade appearance, now traveling the entire 2.5-mile Parade route. The group of 23 spirited performers showed off their fancy footwork with a number choreographed to “Believe It or Not” from Greatest American Hero; it took approximately 12 months to prepare.[3]
See also[]
- Fusion Winter Guard, another color guard that performed in the 2022 Parade.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Big parade will be anything but routine," South Florida Sun Sentinel. November 19, 2006.
- ↑ "Spreading the Word About Special Needs Color Guard," WGI Focus. Winter 2008.
- ↑ "The 82nd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," JamarcusMudkip. YouTube.com.