BELLEFONTE — Another popular competition season for school age students — specifically those involved in performing arts — officially begins on Saturday.
Tournament Indoor Association’s Susquehanna Valley Region 4 will begin its 2026 season on Feb. 14 at Bellefonte Area High School.
The season’s kickoff begins with what is known as the annual “Preview Show” where schools and independent organizations perform privately with judges in a closed clinic-type setting for educational input and opinion — and then later in the day, the first public competition is held.
This event is sponsored by the Bellefonte Performing Arts Boosters in conjunction with the National Judges Association.
More than 300 color guard, dance, twirler, winds and percussion students from the Susquehanna Valley Region of Central Pennsylvania will attend. These students will be representing Bald Eagle Area, Bellefonte Area, Canton, Central Mountain, Jersey Shore, Penns Valley, Southern Tioga, Sugar Valley, and Mifflin County School Districts, as well as independent performing units from Lock Haven, Sunbury, and Penn State University.
Tournament Indoor Association represents schools and organizations in nine states, divided into geographic regions. Sixty weekend shows are scheduled from January through April, leading to the annual Region Championship. This year’s TIA Region 4 Championships will be held on Sunday, April 26, again at Bellefonte Area High School.
After the regional event is held, the TIA Atlantic Coast Championships will feature over 200 competing units and more than 450 performances during five days of pageantry and excitement in Wildwood, N.J.
Region 4 Coordinator Bill Bernhard is at the helm of the day’s events. He has been in that position since 2014 and has been involved Tournament/NJA since 1982. He was the color guard instructor at Bellefonte H.S. from 1982 to 2002.
“Tournament Indoor is very popular with local high school and independent color guards, twirlers, dance teams and percussion units,” Bernhard said in a statement. “Wind units are new to the activity and have started to begin to compete in the past couple of years.
“I believe indoor competition is popular because it gives students that don’t participate in sports a winter activity to participate in,” Bernhard added. “It also gives performers an activity to participate in after high school if they choose an independent unit.”
As an example of its popularity, the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t destroy the activity like did with others. Halfway through the 2020 season, the pandemic shutdown ceased all competitions including the highly anticipated ACC Championships at Wildwood.
The following year, competitions were held virtually, with groups submitting their shows for adjudication via video from their home gymnasium.
“Tournament has definitely rebounded (from the pandemic) in the past two years,” Bernhard explained. “In Region 4 we have increased to over 40 total units this year and the number of performing members in the units has also increased. Unit totals in Region 4 range from seven members to 45 members. Tournament overall has rebounded as a whole with over 210 units participating in Championships in Wildwood, N.J. this coming May, which is 33 more units than 2025.”
Bernhard said the concept of indoor performing arts competitions is more than just about music.
“These competitions offer the opportunity for performers to develop their equipment and communication skills. It also gives them the opportunity to create a positive camaraderie between unit members and other units,” Bernhard added.
Jessica Siegle, color guard coach at Bald Eagle Area High School, said her performers are looking forward to the season’s kickoff on Saturday.
“Preview shows are important as they give coaches the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with show judges about the direction of their teams’ performances,” Siegle said about Saturday’s event. “Our students are given constructive criticism and positive reinforcement, and it really helps them to thrive in this sport of the arts.”
The day-long event will start at 8 a.m. with the educational clinics closed to the public, for all the performing students and staff members. These clinics will include hands-on equipment, movement, and music sessions for the students, as well as a review of each unit’s 2026 full production for the staff members, by the NJA adjudicators.
The evening competition portion of the day will be open to spectators beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. This will allow the students to perform not only for their friends and family, but to also be adjudicated and ranked on their performances.
Doors will open to the general public at 2:30 p.m. and the performances will begin at 3:30 p.m. The Bellefonte Performing Arts Boosters will have food and beverages available in the school cafeteria and will also be offering raffles, flowers, and candy grams. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens.
TIA Region 4 will be hosting additional regular season competitions on March 7 at Central Mountain High School in Mill Hall, March 14 at Tioga County’s Williamson High School, March 28 at Jersey Shore High School in Jersey Shore, April 11 at Bald Eagle Area High School in Wingate and the Region 4 Championships on April 26 at Bellefonte Area High School.
