It's almost like magic.

Every Tuesday and Thursday night, they turn the empty Granite Bay High School cafeteria into an atmosphere of choreographed delight. Thirteen girls, all dressed in coordinating black and white, are dancing and marching and in sync. They are armed with heavy flags, glittering rifles and polished sabers. Striving for unity, sisterhood and fluidness, the group's practice is a marvelous routine.

Meet the Granite Bay High School Color Guard and their captain head, Christiane Marr.

"Color Guard gives students a place to truly be themselves and to perform," says GBHS junior and Color Guard captain Eva Andrew. "I feel that the Color Guard brings tasteful, entertaining performances that everyone can enjoy."

Although they are most commonly associated with school's award-winning Emerald Brigade band program, the GBHS Color Guard is a team worthy of note. The time, dedication and creativity that the group's athletes and coaches contribute are extraordinary.

In the fall season, the Color Guard - who work under the tutelage of instructors Marr and Vince Velasquez and dance coordinator Bonnie Boone - collaborates with the Emerald Brigade, and they follow a busy competition schedule.

Members arrive at school early in the fall semester with the band for zero period practices and travel with the brigade to five competitions.

"The Color Guard definitely contributes a more colorful and visual aspect to the marching band performances," says Andrews.

What the Color Guard brings to the Emerald Brigade performances is what, Marr says, makes the overall production so amazing.

"We interpret what we hear from the band," says Marr. "It's just another part of the experience. You have the audio from the band and the visual from the Color Guard. It's a complete package."

Modern Color Guard, says Marr, has made a drastic transformation from its more ceremonial roots.

"What we do today is nothing like the guards of the past," she says. "We are much more complex in the equipment work, which includes the use of flags, riffles, sabers and any other type of equipment that we can create. It is actual performance, not just a half time show during a football game."

Part of the reason for the team's success is the leadership behind it. With more than 60 years combined experience between the three instructors, the team has some awesome guidance. As captain head, Marr has numerous responsibilities and works to coordinate many aspects of the program.

Andrews calls the team's instructors "the masterminds behind all of our choreography and cleanliness."

Where the entire team is challenged choreography-wise is in the spring season, after Emerald Brigade competitions are over. They become Winter Guard at that point.

From November until April, the team competes by themselves to original routines choreographed by the instructors. The competitions, which start in February, are as far away as Vallejo - revealing, once again, the dedication of this group.

And despite the fact that the team must change gears and focus from the fall season, they are giddy at the prospects of the season to come.

The team's routine for Winter Guard this year is called Serenade for Strings, a four-and-a-half minute classical string quartet.

"There is more dancing involved," says GBHS junior and Color Guard member Valerie Lehrer. "And there is more intricacy of the work that we have. We have the same equipment as marching season, but there is a lot more dancing underneath our flags with our feet. There is a lot of movement."

The spring season allows the team the opportunity for creativity, competition and more chances for the camaraderie that makes them one fluid body.

"This is our fun season," Marr says. "This is when we get to show off our music and our routines."