Pep Flags, also known as flaggies, short flags, small flags, or twirl flags is the performing art of twirling one or two flag(s) as part of a choreographed routine. In recent years, some schools have implemented a third and even fourth flag in routines. This performing art is mainly prominent in Southern California high schools in various school districts. It is mainly in high schools but a few are in elementary, middle school and college/university levels.
Southern California is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises California's southernmost counties, and is the second most populous urban agglomeration in the United States. The region is traditionally described as eight counties, based on demographics and economic ties: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. The more extensive 10-county definition, which includes Kern and San Luis Obispo counties, is also used and is based on historical political divisions.
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties its main population centers include the San Francisco Bay Area, the Greater Sacramento area, and the Metropolitan Fresno area. Northern California also contains redwood forests, along with the Sierra Nevada, including Yosemite Valley and part of Lake Tahoe, Mount Shasta, and most of the Central Valley, one of the world's most productive agricultural regions.
Nevada is a state in the Western United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th most extensive, the 32nd most populous, but the 9th least densely populated of the U.S. states. Nearly three-quarters of Nevada's people live in Clark County, which contains the Las Vegas–Paradise metropolitan area where three of the state's four largest incorporated cities are located. Nevada's capital, however, is Carson City.
Colorado is a state of the Western United States encompassing most of the southern Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. It is the 8th most extensive and 21st most populous U.S. state. The estimated population of Colorado was 5,695,564 on July 1, 2018, an increase of 13.25% since the 2010 United States Census.
Depending on the place, pep flags may be classified with baton (flag baton), majorettes or precision/prop. Usually, pep flags is often associated with cheerleading, as it is one of the main aspects of school spirit: cheerleading, songleading/pom pom, mascots and pep flags). Not to be confused with auxiliary or colorguard, pep flags is a separate discipline. However, much like other auxiliary and spirit teams, Pep Flags takes much hand and eye coordination, athleticism, showmanship and overall teamwork and good sportsmanship. Many flag routines involve choreography to music, dance/cheer elements (such as kicklines, pyramid mounts, etc.), numerous combinations of twirls, flag tricks, and flag tosses (also known as exchanges).
Baton twirling is an art involving the manipulation of a metal rod and the performer's body to a coordinated routine. It is similar to rhythmic gymnastics or color guard.
Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to entertain the audience, or for competition. Competitive routines typically range anywhere from one to three minutes, and contain components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting.
Dance is a performing art form consisting of purposefully selected sequences of human movement. This movement has aesthetic and symbolic value, and is acknowledged as dance by performers and observers within a particular culture. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire of movements, or by its historical period or place of origin.
Many schools that have a Pep Flag squad can generally be seen performing at school pep rallies, football games (pre-game, half-time or even along the sideline with the cheerleaders), and cheering at other sporting events during the fall. Some may be seen marching with their school's band during parade season. In the spring, teams compete in several indoor competitions against other schools. Some of the main competitions that occur are United Spirit Association (USA) Regionals and Nationals, Miss Dance Drill/Team USA, Sharp competitions as well as smaller school-sponsored competitions throughout the Southern California area. Generally, these competitions have two separate divisions for one flag and two flag routines. In addition, they may also include solo, duet, and trio divisions as well.
Bishop Montgomery High School earned the Championship titles at Miss Dance Drill Team USA in 1986 (Two Flag), 2014 (both one and two flag), 2017(1 Flag) and the International Championship titles in 1986 and 1990. Bishop Montgomery also won USA Nationals in 1997 and was also one of the first schools to have a male compete at USA Regionals 2006.
Carnegie Middle School is the first and only actively competing middle school pep flags program in competition (as of 2010). Although its existence has been sporadic over the years, their competition history can be traced back to the early 1980s, making them the original junior high school competition pep flags squad. Carnegie has enjoyed a recent revival, which began in 2008. They also inspired other spin-off pep flag programs and in the 1990s were referenced in a touring show of a Japanese touring acting troup.
Carson High School is the second school to "three-peat" at USA Nationals (2004, 2005, 2006) and are also the originators of twirling three and four flags. Also first and only school to win both 1 flag and 2 flag divisions in the same year and consecutively (2005 and 2006).Carson is also known for their "show-off" line. They earned back-to-back wins at USA Nationals in both 1 and 2 Flag divisions in 2005 and 2006. Carson did not compete at USA Nationals in 2007 and 2011. They also brought much publicity to pep flags when they were featured in Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" video in 2005. First team ever to earn a championship trophy for 2 flag after an award ceremony.( USA Nationals 2017)
Channel Islands High School is the first school to "three-peat" four times at USA Nationals (in 2-Flag: 1986, 1987, 1988 and in 2001, 2002, 2003 and again 2009, 2010, 2011, as well as in 1-Flag: in 2011, 2012, 2013). Channel Islands did not compete at USA Nationals in 1997. They have also earned the championship titles at Miss Dance/Drill Team International in 1985, 1987, 2001 and 2003, as well as most decorated pep flags team in the history of Miss Dance Drill Team USA. The team has also implemented changing their flags in a "flag-change," much like what is seen in a colorguard or winterguard routines.
Kyoei Gakuen High School (Japan) is the 2006 and 2008 Miss Dance Drill Team International Championship team. Their 2008 performance as been coined as one of the all-time memorable performances in the pageant's history.
Long Beach Poly High School earned their first USA Nationals Championship in both the 1 flag and 2 flag divisions in 2008. They are also the first school to have a male on their squad to win a USA Nationals Championship that same year.
Morse High School earned their first USA National Championship in the 1 flag division in 2010. Morse was the second school to have a male win a USA National Championship. Morse won both 1 flag and 2 flag divisions for their first time in 2014, along with their first 2 flag title and first undefeated season. They are also the National Champions for 1 flag and 2 flag divisions in 2015, making this the first time to hold both titles back to back from 2014 to 2015. Defending their title.
Narbonne High School has won the Miss Dance/Drill Team USA championships from 1991-1998, and 2008. They also earned the championship title at Miss Dance/Drill Team International in 1989 and 1995. Narbonne did not compete in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. They have also won the USA National Champion titles in 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1999.
Oxnard High School was one of the first schools to have a male that competed at USA Nationals in 2006 (placing 4th) and the first school to have two males to compete on a team at USA Nationals 2007 competition (placing 6th).
St. Patrick - St. Vincent High School one of the few pep flagging schools in Northern California. Also one of the few schools to place in the 2 flag division (2011) on its first try at nationals.
Adolfo Camarillo High School is a high school in Camarillo, California. It is part of the Oxnard Union High School District. It was recognized as a California Distinguished School in 1996 and in 2009 and a National Blue Ribbon School in 1998. The land was purchased for the school by Adolfo Camarillo for the construction of a high school. Its principal is Kim Stephenson.
Bishop Montgomery High School is a Catholic high school serving twenty-five parishes in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. BMHS was founded in 1957, and staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Conventual Franciscans, and lay faculty. The 24-acre (97,000 m2) campus is located in Torrance, California, in southwest Los Angeles County, one mile (1.6 km) from the Pacific Ocean and the Del Amo Mall. The coeducational student body is approximately 1,200 students in grades 9 through 12, making BMHS the sixth largest private high school in Los Angeles County. The faculty is headed by Principal Rosemary Libbon.
Also known as U.S. Nationals & Pageant, this national dance competition for precision dance teams, dance-drill teams, and dance studios is recognized as the origin of the competitive dance industry. The event was trademarked under the name Miss Drill Team U.S.A. and registered as a non-profit organization in 1973 by Dr. Kay Teer Crawford. In 1989, the competition re-branded itself as Miss Dance Drill Team USA in an effort to recognize the varying performing arts interests of the many out-of-state teams that regularly traveled to Southern California to attend the annual event, which over the years has been held in the cities of Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Irvine.
Pep Flags in media
Pep flags, or the use of pep flags, can be seen in:
Tonic is an American rock band, formed in 1993 by Emerson Hart and Jeff Russo. Later members have included Dan Lavery, Kevin Shepard, and Dan Rothchild. Signed to a recording contract in 1995, the band released its debut album Lemon Parade in 1996. The single "If You Could Only See" reached No. 11 on the Billboard Airplay Hot 100, and Lemon Parade itself reached platinum status.
"You Wanted More" is a 1999 song by the Los Angeles band Tonic that originally appeared in the 1999 film, American Pie. It was released on June 26, 1999.
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She is a co-founder and the lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl" and "Don't Speak" from their 1995 breakthrough studio album Tragic Kingdom, as well as "Hey Baby" and "It's My Life" from later albums.
Sasuke is a Japanese sports entertainment television special in which 100 competitors attempt to complete a four-stage obstacle course. An edited version, named Ninja Warrior, is screened in at least 18 other countries.
Legally Blonde: The Musical – The Search for Elle Woods is an MTV program created in order to cast an actress to replace Laura Bell Bundy in the role of Elle Woods in the Broadway production of Legally Blonde: The Musical. The show debuted on June 2, 2008.
The Hollywood Christmas Parade is an annual parade that takes place on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in the Hollywood community in Los Angeles, California, United States. The parade follows a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) route along Hollywood Boulevard, then back along Sunset Boulevard and features various celebrities among its participants.
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Related Research Articles
A drill team can be one of four different entities:
A military drill team is a marching unit that performs routines based on military drill. Military drill teams perform either armed or unarmed.
A dance drill team creates routines based on precision dance movements rather than military drill. These teams usually do not carry anything, but may use props in field production numbers. They may perform to recorded music, or the live music of an accompanying marching band.
A team that execute routines carrying either one or multiple flags or pom-poms. This team's movements are also based in dance and may also have a heavy influence of gymnastics as well. These teams also may perform to music, either live or recorded.
A team that is mounted or advances some type of mobile object. May also include teams of dogs and handlers.
Exhibition drill is a variant of drill that involves complex marching sequences which usually deviate from drill used in the course of ordinary parades. Teams performing exhibition drill are often affiliated with military units, but the scope of exhibition drill is not limited to military drill teams. Exhibition drill is often performed by Armed Forces Precision Drill Teams, the drill teams at service academies and ROTC and JROTC units, and civilian drill teams that perform at parades, drill meets, and half-time shows and other public venues.
Glendale High School is a high school located at 1440 Broadway Avenue in Glendale, California, USA. The school is the Flagship School of the Glendale Unified School District.
The UAAP Cheerdance Competition is an annual one-day event of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines for cheerdancing. The sequence of the performance are determined by drawing of lots prior the competition.
A dance squad or dance team, sometimes called a pom squad or song team, is a team of participants that participates in competitive dance. In a routine, a squad will incorporate a specific dance style, technical work, and, depending on the routine, pom-poms and/or cheers. A pom squad slightly differs from a regular dance squad in that it uses pom-poms in all its dance routines, whilst a regular dance squad may or may not do pom work in a dance routine. Dance teams are also popular in performance dance, especially at sporting events, most commonly performing during the pre-game and halftime periods of football and basketball games.
West Covina High School (WCHS) is a four-year comprehensive secondary school located in West Covina, California, USA.
Temple City High School is a four-year public high school located in Temple City, California, in the West San Gabriel Valley.
John W. North High School is a public high school in Riverside, California, part of the Riverside Unified School District, and the home of the Huskies. It is an International Baccalaureate school, and takes pride in its athletic teams that compete in CIF.
Meghan Coffey is a beauty queen from New Berlin, Wisconsin who competed in the Miss America pageant in 2007.
The University of Minnesota Marching Band is the marching band of the University of Minnesota and the flagship university band for the state of Minnesota. The Pride of Minnesota serves as the university’s ambassador, representing the school at major events both on and off campus. The band performs before, during, and after all home Golden Gopher football games and bowl games, occasional away games, local parades, numerous pepfests, exhibition performances, as well as a series of indoor concerts at the end of the regular football season. Members of the band, along with non-member students, also participate in smaller athletic pep bands that perform at other major sporting events, including men's hockey, men's basketball, women's hockey, women's basketball, and women's volleyball. Here is a link to the intro video and fight songs of the Pride of Minnesota.
Carson High School is a four-year public high school in Carson, California, United States. It is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Carson High was ranked 974 on Newsweek's 1300 Top U.S. High Schools. Carson High is located on the corner of 223rd Street and Main Street. Carson's rivalry with Banning High School in Wilmington, Los Angeles, California is one of the top high school rivalries in the South Bay region of Los Angeles.
The UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe, is the University-wide organization for dance and the official dance troupe of the University of Santo Tomas (UST). The group is known for its versatility covering wide array of genre from performing arts to cheerleading, from contemporary to breakdancing. The Salinggawi Dance Troupe is also the official cheerdance team along with the official pep squad and drumline - the UST Yellow Jackets of the University of Santo Tomas. The group also performs for the halftime during the games of the UST Growling Tigers, the university's Men's Basketball team in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The group is also the official team of the University to Skecher's Streetdance Competition.
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Spirit Squads comprise the cheerleading organization at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. Being the first program ever to form worldwide, the University of Minnesota is consequently considered the "Birthplace of Cheerleading". Today, the Gopher Spirit Squads consist of five separate squads: a co-ed squad, a small co-ed squad, an all-girl squad, a dance team, and a hockey cheer squad. The school's mascot, Goldy Gopher, is also a part of the program. The squads consistently perform well at national competitions including 18 national championships in dance since 2003, a 2nd-place finish for All-Girl in 2013, a fifth-place finish in 2017, and three time national champion Goldy Gopher in 2011, 2013, and 2017. The current head coach is Sam Owens.
The Ocean of Soul, also known as The Ocean, is the marching band representing Texas Southern University, and is currently under the direction of Clarence K. Gibson.
The Clemson University Tiger Band serves as the Marching Band, Color Guard, Tiger Dancers and Tiger Twirlers of Clemson University. The marching band component of the band is made up of wind instruments, percussion, and auxiliary units, including the piccolo, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, baritone, and sousaphone. To the thousands of fans, it is known as the Tiger Band, or better yet the "band that shakes the Southland". Composed of over 300 members, Tiger Band's mission is to provide inspiring spirit and entertainment to not only the university, but beyond.
The National Dance Alliance (NDA), originally named the NCA Superstar, was established in 1999 as a “full service provider in the dance spirit industry”. The NDA is the sister company of the National Cheer Association (NCA), which was founded by Lawrence Herkimer in 1948. In 1976, the NCA created the NCA Superstar to make a distinction between the dance and cheerleading aspects of the company. Eventually in 1999, the NCA Superstar changed its name to the National Dance Alliance.
Kay Teer Crawford was born Kay Waweehie Teer on August 16, 1914. She had Native American Cherokee and Comanche in her family lineage. She was raised in Grainger, Texas and lived in extreme poverty during her childhood. Crawford attended Edinburg High School, where she started the first "modern dance drill team" in 1929 after she had earned a spot on the school's cheerleading squad but 90 of her schoolmates did not. Her drill team idea was inspired by the marching styles of Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets at a local community college. The following year, her idea came to fruition when the Edinburg High School "Seargenettes" took the field in the fall of 1930.
