When did colorguards add dance?

[Dcnewbie]

A random question, Who was the first Corps to start adding dance in the colorgaurd, and what year. Thanks for your help!

[daverdci]

I think it was kind of gradual. Somewhere in the early 90's color guard really took a huge change towards more than just flags and spinning. It seems to me about 93 is kind of when the top 12 started heading that direction. I don't really think it's just dancing that we're looking at, it's color guard and general effect as a total. Corps are writing shows now that bring the color guard front and center for a majority of the show. Whether telling a story or just conveying an idea or thought...the color guard has been thrust to the front to get those ge scores up, because ge seems to carry more weight now than performance. Anyway, don't know if I'm totally right about all this...just my observations since I've been watching the activity (1988) and "from what I've gathered on the back of sugar packets."

[DrumCorpsFan27]

1974 when SCV first did the Bottle Dance.

[daverdci]

So...all that to say...I don't know, but I bet it was Blue Devils.

[Slow Adam]

Guards started dancing about 15 years before their score actually counted :P

[AlbionNY Drum Line]

Guards started dancing about 15 years before their score actually counted :P

That should have told you something.

Edited October 15, 2005 by AlbionNY Drum Line

[CANOSDIRECTOR]

Well drumcorpsfan27 I hate to burst your bubble but while going through the corps movie archives I came across a film of the 1973 Americanos. At one point in the program the corps' 8 member rifle line forms a circle around a soloist and while this soloist plays his part the rifle line is doing the "Mexican Hat Dance". Is this an actual dance? Yes, after doing some research on the net I found that the "Mexican Hat Dance" was a traditional mexican folk dance. So there you have it sports fans (unless someone has something earlier), the Americanos are the first corps in DCI history to incorporate dance into their show. Oh and yes, in 1973 the Americanos were an "Open Class" drum corps.

Sorry SCV.

Edited October 15, 2005 by CANOSDIRECTOR

[MelloHorn13]

I think it was kind of gradual. Somewhere in the early 90's color guard really took a huge change towards more than just flags and spinning. It seems to me about 93 is kind of when the top 12 started heading that direction. I don't really think it's just dancing that we're looking at, it's color guard and general effect as a total. Corps are writing shows now that bring the color guard front and center for a majority of the show. Whether telling a story or just conveying an idea or thought...the color guard has been thrust to the front to get those ge scores up, because ge seems to carry more weight now than performance. Anyway, don't know if I'm totally right about all this...just my observations since I've been watching the activity (1988) and "from what I've gathered on the back of sugar packets."

I get what your saying. I woudl have to say BD in the 80s started to do more of the dance as we see today with guard. I may be wrong. But it's the only corps I can think of that did that kinda stuff with the guard in the 80s

[MsBusDriver]

Well drumcorpsfan27 I hate to burst your bubble but while going through the corps movie archives I came across a film of the 1973 Americanos. At one point in the program the corps' 8 member rifle line forms a circle around a soloist and while this soloist plays his part the rifle line is doing the "Mexican Hat Dance". Is this an actual dance? Yes, after doing some research on the net I found that the "Mexican Hat Dance" was a traditional mexican folk dance. So there you have it sports fans (unless someone has something earlier), the Americanos are the first corps in DCI history to incorporate dance into their show. Oh and yes, in 1973 the Americanos were an "Open Class" drum corps.

Sorry SCV.

Er...Actually, we did the Bottle Dance in '73 (See "Competitive Drum Corps" filmed in '73 by McCormick). And I myself see it as more of a "move" than actual "dance". But, that's just my individual opinion.

And another "Actually". Some Corps Guards were doing "dance" as early as '71. Troopers and 27th did a bit of a jig during the "irish" (don't remember name) part of a tune.

[cage]

Rondo said it was SCV who introduced dance into drum corps (I forgot what year he said this) so it must be true. This, like most things in drum corps was probably first tried by a small corps and the first "top" corps to try it was SCV.