Jak

Exactly. As I believe someone already stated, speed spins came from people watching Peggy spins and trying to figure out how to do them. If you pass the vertical checkpoint on a Peggy spin and grab flat, that is a double time (or speed) spin.

I can do one from time to time. Why are blades so much scarier than hilts? It's the one-handed catch I guess. But really I guess it's just all in how much time you've spent on it. I remember when I was just learning and blade triples scared me to death.

Let me clarify what I meant: I'm fully aware that they are different spins. Nor am I advocating sloppy technique. The difference is in the effort changes; double time spins are even, and Peggies are alternately slow then fast on each count. However, if you teach a new student a Peggy Spin and they don't understand the effort changes, and they pass the vertical checkpoints (which most brand new freshman will do at first), they'll be doing a doubletime spin.

Does anyone have a great approach for teaching parts to music that can't be counted? You know, music that is very slow and free with virtually no discernible tempo? We considered a few great pieces of music for this winter and dismissed them because we couldn't count them. We had tried doing ones like that in the past, and it never seems to work out very well. If it was a singer, we would clean to words (up on the, flat on love, etc.). The kids never feel really comfortable this way. Anybody have better suggestions?

If it came from the Dallas meeting, I would assume that it's coming from WGI. This brings up another question, if it's not counted towards equipment time, will the equipment judge be evaluating and giving credit for them? I would think they would, but if it doesn't count as equipment for timing, it seems like a contradiction to count it in that way.

If you're throwing blade 5's you better get a surgeon on staff. One who has experienceing removing metal shards from flesh!

OMG, you're throwing blades fives? Is this a world class group?

Actually, they do the same number of rotations, it's just that speed spins are even while Peggies are pulsed. With speed spins (I call them double time) the flag does 3/4 of a rotation on every count. In fact I know some people that call them three-quarter spins. Which makes 1.5 rotations every two counts. Peggies do a half rotation on even counts and a whole rotation on odd counts. Still 1.5 rotations every two counts. Truthfully, if you do them sort of sloppy and fuzzy on your checkpoints, they're the same thing. Peggies are much harder to clean because of the effort change on every count.

This is just my personal opinion of course, but I can't stand it when guards do hip-hop. I'm not a judge, so I'm allowed to have personal likes and dislikes. I like classical (or at least sophisticated) music with classical technique. I do thing one thing that ballet has over the other forms of dance (when it comes to color guard) is the emphasis on posture, centering, and line. This creates performers who look confident, polished, poised, trained, etc. I think it would be difficult to hold yourself that way and have that kind of posture while doing hip-hop. But then if you throw those things (posture, etc.) out the window, you start to look really sloppy.

So down, up, up, down, down, up, up, down... Right?

My kids always cuss Peggy after I make them do 100 Peggy spins. We didn't ever know if that Peggy was a real person or not. Now I can tell them that she is! So just to clarify, she did down, flat, over, flat, over, flat, etc... Is that correct?

Well it's certainly not a major no-no or anything. But I like to take the time to study up and make sure I'm using correct terminology. I guess it's just a personal thing, but I like my students to come out of the program with some education and sophistication about dance.

Oh my God! Every French ballet mistress is rolling over in her grave! sota arabess: do you mean sauté arabesque? Rondasion: could you possibly mean rond de jambe? Here's a great link to help you with your terminology: http://www.ballet-academy.com/Dictionary.htm I used to have a great one that had videos of dancers performing various exercises, but I can't find the link now. Also, I disagree that the plié is the most important exercise in dance. I think the battement tendu is. That's what Balanchine taught. Virtually every move in ballet commences and finishes with a tendu.

Early in the winter season we spend about an hour and 20 minutes on technique at each rehearsal. Starting with movment, then spinning. As the season progresses and the kids get better and our rehearsals become more efficient, we reduce it gradually. By April we'll be down to 45 or 50 minutes.

Well that shouldn't be too bad then. Good luck!

I've heard of people using floor paint or porch paint. It supposedly holds up better. I've not tried it, though.

So is it 5/8 counting 5 beats per measure or counting 2 beats per measure? With 5 it shouldn't be that hard. With 2, that means it's 1&& 2&, which would be really tough. In other words, the first beat in each measure would be 50% longer than the 2nd. That can be really tough to count.

Wow, I can't imagine that those would be relevent today. A couple of years ago, I ran across an article in the Instrumentalist about color guard. It was written by David Baker in 1985 or so. He was one of the great names in color guard at the time, but it was sort of laughable today. One of his suggestions was to have the guard use frilly parasols and promenade around the field.

I don't think odd numbered phrases matter. If you do any kind of contemperary Classical stuff, you're going to have that. And I disagree that it doesn't look pleasing to the eye. As long as it's musical, an observer would never know the difference. I personally would have a bigger concern with uneven meters. If it just changes from 3/4 to 4/4 to 5/4, that's no big deal; you just have to memorize the correct number of counts. However, when the beat isn't steady (as in 7/8 where it's 1&2&3&&) you're going to have a problem on your hands. It would take a mature performer (heck it takes a mature musician!) to count that. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's not a battle I would want to fight.