Gainesville Independent was formed in the fall of 2008 by Renee' Meizius.
While Florida has had a wealth of guards, there were very few opportunities in the Northern part of the state, particularly in the A class. With the ever rising cost of gas, driving to out of town rehearsals was becoming prohibitive to many students who otherwise would be performing. With the amount of guard talent at attending the University of Florida and Sante Fe College, it was felt that it was the right time to offer a program in Gainesville.
Gainesville Independent is performer friendly with rehearsals scheduled around classes and exams and taking place primarily on Sundays through the fall. The guard performs in the Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit as well as at Winter Guard Regionals and World Championships. Proving that a quality program can indeed be student friendly, Gainesville was named the 2009 FFCC Indepedent A Class champion and saw success at the WGI World Championships as a semi-finalist, quite an accomplishment for a first year program.
2010 brings new challenges and opportunities as the guard will seek to continue growth towards placement on a national level. Meizius, who served on staff at programs such as St. Augustine Coast One and Paradigm Independent World, will again lead an impressive staff.
Stephen Porter (Lyman) has again signed on to handle the choreography and design. Additional staff members include Latonya Hicks, Jennifer Kersten, Christina Palau, Mike Palau, and Marcus Sanders. Joe Flynn, former Paradigm director, serves as a consultant to the program.
The 2010 Gainesville Independent will perform throughout the FFCC, at WGI Regionals in Orlando and Tampa, and at the World Championships in Dayton. More information regarding the guard's 2010 program will be released as the season draws closer!
