Congratulations on your promotion!

Capella’s score after World Championships Finals was a 94.5, making us a candidate for promotion within WGI, to the Independent Open Class. What exactly does that mean? Here are some interesting facts about Open Class:

Maximum show time cannot exceed 6 1/2 minutes. Minimum show time cannot be less than 5 minutes.

Here is what WGI has to say about Open Class:
Open Class guards are an exciting branch of the WGI family. They are enthusiastic with a strong desire to grow and explore. They are open and eager to test their skills in a more challenging arena. Most will have achieved the level of training set in Class A and welcome the challenge of great creativity. There should be sound development in a logical growing progression of challenges while maintaining the premise that growth requires new and additional training.

The average age of Open Class guards varies, especially in the Independent Class. There are typically perhaps two to four instructors for most groups. Some hire outside designers to create the program. They rehearse between 8 and 12 hours per week. They usually utilize all three pieces of equipment. Rifles are prominent in Independent Open Class and are sporadically found in Scholastic Class.

Here is where the intermediate student explores new challenge through performance and realizes a greater sense of achievement as each more complex skill is learned. They experience a freedom in their process as creativity takes on a greater importance in their development.

Independent Open Class still contains a wide range of age and some skill difference. Performers within one guard can range from 15 to 21 years of age. The average age is 17 to 18. There is greater consistency in the range of skills and physical development. Programs are unique. A few individuals will demonstrate a high level of skills. Some advanced challenges will exist.

So there you have it. Open Class in a nutshell.