Meet the Steperettes of Naperville
The Steperettes of Naperville is an organization that has teaches kids through eighth grade in the Naperville area to spin, toss, catch, and perform together to celebrate the movement art and sport of color guard.
The Steperettes of Naperville operates as Naperville Steperette Guard and Parent Organization, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in partnership with the Naperville Park District.
Our Story
The Steperettes began with the Naperville Municipal Band. Saxophonist Jerry Pickell started a baton-twirling group so band members’ children could march in the parades, and his daughters Vicki and Katie were among its first twirlers. The group took the Steperettes name under director Julie Earhardt, with sponsorship from the Naperville YMCA.
In 1977, Vicki Pickell Mogil became director, and she has led the Steperettes ever since, with her husband Howie Mogil beside her. Through the late 1970s and 1980s the Steperettes were a nationally ranked twirling corps, winning ten Illinois state, five national, and three world titles and performing on tour in Spain.
Beginning in 1987 the program moved from baton to color guard, and by 1989 the change was complete. The Steperettes have fielded a unit in the Midwest Color Guard Circuit, the oldest color guard circuit in the country, every season since 1988. The Steperette Cadets, our unit for eighth grade and under, have taken the floor every year since 1995, and the X Guard exhibition unit joined them in 2016.
Sponsorship later moved from the YMCA to a partnership with the Naperville Park District, and that partnership continues today. In 2017 the Mogils served as Grand Marshals of Naperville’s Labor Day parade, marking forty years of their leadership. Many alumni go on to perform with high school, college, and world-class guards and drum corps, and some come back to teach.
Color Guard FAQs
Here are some of the most common questions we get about color guard and our organization.
What is color guard?
Color guard is a performing art and athletic activity in which participants use flags and other performance equipment, along with dance and choreographed movement, to create visual storytelling to music.
What is “winter” color guard?
Winter color guard is a version of color guard where participants perform a themed show in a gym or arena, usually on a large decorative floor covering called a tarp or floor. Unlike fall color guard, winter guard performs as its own ensemble rather than alongside a marching band.
What equipment do we use?
Flags, rifles, sabres, and other show-specific props — all designed for performance.
Beginners start with a flag: fabric, often called a “silk”, attached to a lightweight pole.
What will my child need?
For everyday rehearsals, members commonly need comfortable athletic clothing, supportive athletic or dance-appropriate shoes, a filled water bottle, and any instructor-required personal items.
For performances, members need their defined show costume and peripherals.
Where do our members typically go when they age out of Steperettes?
Many of our members continue on in their color guard journey at their designated high schools. For those that don’t have an available program at their high school, they will have joined other independent color guard programs.
Many of our members will continue their color guard journey beyond high school, participating in color guards at their chosen colleges and universities, or participating in Drum Corp and other semi-professional organizations.