Winterguard is a sport of the arts in which a team conveys a meaning or tells a story using no words, but their bodies. They dance and spin flags and rifles. The performers put themselves in the position of character whose story they are telling. The best part though? The season is finally here.

“I’m so excited it’s here,” said Nyah Coleman, a junior now in her second season of winterguard at Center Hill High School.

Center Hill’s winterguard shows, which typically address real problems, have been known to move people to tears. For example, in the 2016 show, “Fix You,” a group of 10 performers told the story of a boy trying to save a suicidal girl.

This year’s show, however, breaches an entirely new territory. Guard coach and flag instructor Melanie Caffee said the concept is based on an insane asylum. Inspired by the songs “Heathens” and “Goner” by Twenty One Pilots, the show will be performed to an original mashup of the two. It will include props such as white walls, a door, a white floor mat and red chairs. The concept will also include uniforms that resemble strait jackets.

“It’s really dark,” Coleman said. “There’s a plot twist at the end.”

Coleman and the other 23 winterguard performers have been working with a professional choreographer, Caffee said.

The collaboration keeps with current trends in choreography, said Jamie Frey, the group’s rifle instructor.

Tryouts for Winter Guard were held in November.

“I’m really excited about working with these kids,” Caffee said, noting that everyone who tried out was eager and optimistic. “Those are two traits that every guard person needs.”

Captains for the season are seniors Carrie Guy and Jillian Ressler. Both have held this position before and plan to continue to “lead by example,” to fulfill their roles, Ressler said, adding that this year’s show is “a step up from last year.”

Center Hill will host 2017’s first Mississippi Indoor Association competition for color guard and percussion on Jan. 28. Tickets for the event, for which more than 30 groups from Mississippi and Tennessee are registered, will be $10.