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Mr. Know it all

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Everything posted by Mr. Know it all

  1. Oh, my gosh - that's RIGHT...!!! Thanks to the fans who have pointed out an even COOLER fact about the Florida guards: Flanagan and West Broward are located in the SAME TOWN: Pembroke Pines. Another 'neighborly' relationship worth noting is that Flanagan, West Broward, Cypress Bay and Taravella ALL are located in western suburbs of Broward County. (Note: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School also calls the western Broward suburbs home - and they're really turning a lot of heads in SO class. Hope we see them in Dayton again in the near future...!!!) Must be something about practicing in close proximity to a 'river of grass' filled with alligators that makes those Broward County guards really, really, REALLY good.
  2. BEST SHOWING BY A SINGLE STATE The State of Florida Ok, I just need to say right up front that math never has been my strong suit. So, my accounting might be flawed. (And I trust that someone will let me know if I've made any errors...!!!) But if my tabulations as correct, then I believe that Florida advanced more guards into their respective class Finals than any other state represented in Dayton this year. Here's my list of the Florida groups that performed in Finals: INDEPENDENT WORLD Braddock Ind. ............... 6th place SCHOLASTIC WORLD Flanagan ................... 1st place Seminole ................... 5th place West Broward ............... 9th place Timber Creek ............... 10th place Tarpon Springs ............. 13th place INDEPENDENT OPEN U. South Florida Pegasus ... 2nd place SCHOLASTIC OPEN Freedom .................... 1st place Nease ...................... 3rd place Cypress Bay ................ 7th place Cypress Creek .............. 13th place INDEPENDENT A U. of Central Florida ...... 5th place MEDEA ...................... 15th place SCHOLASTIC A Taravella .................. 4th place Lyman ...................... 6th place Apopka ..................... 8th place Robinson ................... 10th place TOTAL: 17 finalists, including 2 Gold Medalists OF NOTE: 8 of those finalists - nearly half of the total Florida units in Finals - placed in the top 5. (FYI: I included Braddock's 6th place finish in IW because minus their .1 penalty, their Finals performance tied Zydeco for 5th place.) Way to go Florida...!!!!
  3. BEST SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT Blessed Sac's teeny-weeny flags and itty-bitty rifles How totally FUN were the 'Mini-Me' pieces of equipment used by the Munchkins as they marched around on their knees...??? And the Munchkin who was featured at the front of the Munchkin gang actually performed a legitimate toss with his pint-sized rifle. I could watch that sequence of Blessed Sac's show over and over and over. More...!!!
  4. I hadn't heard anything about this until someone mentioned it to me during one of the 'after' celebrations on Saturday night in Dayton, but, apparently, it's a fairly well known fact that Latrice Royale (aka, Tim Wilcots) has quite an extensive background in fall season color guard and winter guard. As the story was told to me, the fierce performer from South Florida who just barely missed-out on being in the final three on the current season of 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' was a member of Alliance of Miami at some point during the 1990s, possibly during Alliance's memorable 'Hotel California' program. When I returned home, I immediately started Googling 'Latrice Royale + winter guard' to see what I could find - and there were quite a few references out there. One of the judge's bio that I ran across - assuming it's accurate - said that Latrice (Tim) also has performed with The Sundowners, The Blue Stars and The Magic of Orlando, as well as taught several DCI and WGI units. The same bio went on to say that he has instructed high school color guard throughout Florida and that he's still involved in winter guard, although recently he has taken on more of a consultant roll, designing flags, floors, show concepts, hair/makeup and some choreography. Wow...!!! Who knew, right...??? If anyone out there has 'Latrice' guard memories/stories and would be interested in sharing them, then PLEASE do so. Lots and LOTS of people certainly would be interested in learning more about this fabulous performer's connection to our activity...!!!
  5. BEST MOVABLE SET PIECES Lawrence Central's pine boxes Someone mentioned this up higher, but it's definitely worth mentioning again. I was really pleased to see that the design staff at Lawrence Central found so many interesting and EFFECTIVE ways in which to incorporate their wooden boxes into the show. The staging of the boxes was well thought out and very deliberate. The boxes weren't simply an 'addition' to the show: they were an essential element of the show. Sometimes, pieces like this end up being little more than just 'a thing' that gets pushed around and repositioned a couple of times at key moments in the music. But in Lawrence Central's program, the placement and orientation of the boxes really did a great job of changing-up the look of the visual space in which the guard was performing and also greatly added to the impact of the equipment work. And the guard members interacted with the boxes a LOT, too. They stood on top of them, they climbed inside of them, they laid down inside of them, disappeared behind them, balanced their bodies on them - lots of connection between the performers and the boxes. Particularly liked the brief-but-effective rifle spinning feature wherein the rifle line is hidden inside the boxes with only their arm (and the rifle, of course) sticking out. The rifle spinning accelerates in unison with the music that also is speeding up. Having those performers hidden from view really directed your focus to the weapon work happening at that moment. Very cool. Oh - and I also appreciated the fact that Lawrence Central DIDN'T paint the wooden boxes to match the floor or to match the flags or anything else. Seeing the unfinished wood grain pattern brought a additional element of 'newness' to the show that really worked well with the very modern feeling that they were going for in their program. Job well done, Lawrence Central...!!!
  6. BEST SIGNATURE MOVE Opus 10's 'shimmy' Love, love, LOVE the quasi 1960's-inspired wiggle that was repeated so effectively throughout Opus 10's AMAZING 7th place show. And for the record, I was a HUGE fan of Opus 10's entire program: equipment work, movement, staging, soundtrack - everything fit together seamlessly and effectively. But for me, the standout element of that already great show was, indeed, the 'shimmy. It was a perfect example of a simple move that instantly gave the ensemble a UNIQUE look. Like the soundtrack to which Opus 10 performed, their signature 'shimmy' was quirky and fun without being silly or over the top. It was, as I said, unique, but it completely fit-in with the rest of the movement work perfectly. I think word had got around in Dayton about the 'shimmy,' too, because during Opus 10's performance on Saturday night, you could hear a little bit of buzz in the audience every time they delivered their signature move. People must have been whispering to each other, 'THERE'S that cool move I was telling you about...!!!" A+ Opus 10...!!!
  7. BEST 'THE SHOW MUST GO ON' PERFORMANCE The girl with the boot from Lincoln-Way North During Scholastic A Finals, one of the talented members for the Lincoln-Way North color guard performed the entire program wearing a walking cast/brace below the knee. And she turned-in a GREAT performance in Lincoln-Way North's show that earned a bronze medal. What a dedicated performer...!!! (EDITOR'S NOTE: I hope that someone from the WGI publications office already is planning a short story with a photo for the website and/or the next edition of 'FOCUS' magazine...!!!)
  8. Just a fun thread in which we can both recognize and share the moments from the 2012 World Championships that we will ALWAYS remember Ten or 20 years from now, when someone mentions WGI 2012, you'll say, 'Oh, yeah - that was the year that ____________ happened...!!!' Let's hear about all of your favorite shows, performers, moves, flags, costumes, fans - you name it....!!!
  9. Without question, this is the MOST eagerly anticipated performance scheduled to take place in Dayton in 2012. General admission tickets and VIP packages for this event are still available. Please contact Rochelle at The Dollar Barn in Middletown for more information and for group sales.
  10. Sadly, the confrontational approach that you describe is exactly what you have to do more times than not these days. It's just so discouraging, especially in this activity. I mean, this isn't the NFL, for God's sake. It's not as if we're straining to be heard from the upper deck of Texas Stadium or something. I used to say, 'I hate having to tell people to 'act right' in the stands' - but that's not really true. I actually DON'T hate telling intentionally rude, belligerent a**holes to stop screaming at the back of my head. And I have zero reservations about becoming as 'forceful' with my words and actions as I need to become in order to solve the problem. What I DO hate, however, is being placed in a situation - at a frikin' COLOR GUARD competition, no less - wherein I have NO OTHER CHOICE but to stand up, turn around and tell ADULTS to show some common courtesy to the people sitting in their vicinity. ***Taking a deep breath... Counting backwards from 10...*** As I said in another post, no one is suggesting that we all sit silently in the UD Arena with our hands folded in our laps, as if we were attending Easter Sunday services during the Eisenhower administration. This IS a spectator activity, and the performers of each and every one of those groups deserves the acknowledgement of an appreciative crowd. But I really do wonder whether or not it's time for WGI to have the announcers at Finals remind fans to 'Show your support for your favorite groups, but please be courteous to the fans sitting around to you.' And maybe print something in the program somewhere - a 'Guidelines for Fans,' addendum, too. Of course, there will ALWAYS be people who just don't care about anyone but themselves. Unfortunately, that's the world we live in. Whatcha gonna do...??? But maybe some kind of an official 'Spectator Guidelines' statement from WGI would help more fans to feel as if they have the right to tell loud-mouth jerks that they need to take it down a couple of decibel levels. ***Taking the deep breath again... Counting backwards from 100 this time...*** I feel much better now.
  11. And on a similar note as the previous post, the great state of Indiana qualified a whopping SIX guards into Scholastic World Finals. 1. Carmel 4. Avon 6. Northview 10. Warren Central 11. Center Grove 13. Lawrence Central Now, THAT'S quite an impressive accomplishment. Way to go, Indiana...!!!
  12. Oh, my gosh - yes. I couldn't agree more. The 2011 season was a fantastic year for Florida guards. Just look at all of the Florida ensembles that performed in their class Finals: Independent World 3rd: Braddock Independent 11th: Premonition Scholastic World 3rd: Flanagan 7th: Seminole Independent Open 2nd: Orlando Visual 5th: USF 14th: Gainesville Independent Scholastic Open 2nd: West Broward 3rd: Timber Creek 15th: Freedom Scholastic A 6th: Cypress Bay 10th: Apopka 13th: Nease For those of you keeping score at home, that's 13, yes, THIRTEEN finalists from Florida. Apparently, something is going very RIGHT in The Sunshine State.
  13. 'Funest' show of Finals: Zydeco World Like the rest of the UD Arena on Saturday night, I totally LOVED 'The Bad Guys.' Great show all the way around. It was fun without being silly, packed with demanding work without being frantic and, above all else, it was just plain FUN...!!! I was blown away by the attention to detail that was demonstrated in this production. Everything from the costuming to the sound bites of famous movie villains to the flashing police lights - it all worked together and made for one of the most enjoyable shows of the entire weekend. And on the topic of costuming, I was a really big fan of the two women in the guard who wore the 'Wicked Witch of the West' outfits - complete with stripped leggings and miniature pointed witch hats. Very nicely conceived and executed. Also loved the fake cigarettes that were dangling from the mouths of select 'bad guys' in the ensemble. Even though winter guard season is over, you can probably see this show again on visitor's days at the Montgomery County Jail, 'cuz that's where all of 'The Bad Guys' ended up during the final moments of Zydeco's show.
  14. THE RETURN OF THE SOLID CATCH: Carmel and Northview First off, I just need to go on the record and say that LOTS of performer and LOTS of groups executed solid catches in their shows. I'm not highlighting these two outstanding groups at the expense of any other group in any other class. Just so we're on the same page. Ok...??? But as I watched both Carmel and Northview's Finals shows, their execution and technique really stood out to me. I can't prove it right now, but I'm pretty sure that some of those Carmel girls had extra arms and/or hands. Every member of that ensemble was solid, solid, solid from beginning to end. Craziness. And Northview...??? Wow. Nothin' but 'smack!' when their equipment came back to them - both rifles and sabers. For me, those two groups in particular demonstrated how good technique actually becomes a design component of your show. Many elements of their terrific programs were enhanced even further by the precision and control with which they handled their equipment. Kudos on a job VERY WELL DONE, to everyone at Carmel and Northview.
  15. BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS: West Johnston High School I almost forgot to mention the way cool 3-D show that West Johnston performed this year. How neat was that...??? Unfortunately, I never quite experienced the full 3-D effect as I'm assuming it was intended. It's probably just my eyes (rather, the AGE of my eyes) but some of the 'wow' moments never quite settled-in for me. But I know that most other people saw everything exactly as intended. So, I think it was just me. Even so, West Johnston gets a great big 'Woo-hoo...!!!' for taking a chance on trying something VERY different. And this really seems to have been the season to experiment with 3-D, seeing as just about every other major motion picture now is being released in 3-D. I give props (pun intended) to West Johnston for participating in one of the biggest trends going on right now in the entertainment industry. Way to go, West Johnston...!!! P.S.: Be sure to hang on to your West Johnston red/blue viewing glasses. They're most definitely going to be highly sought after collector's items in a couple of years.
  16. I know that I'm forgetting several groups in my list here, but these are the promoted guards that I remember right off the bat: INDEPENDENT WORLD Emanon - Landed a spot in finals amidst some very tough competition. SCHOLASTIC WORLD West Johnston High School - They turned in some great performances during their first year of being promoted. (And with a 3-D debut, no less...!!!) Norwin High School - Keeping excellent company in the always-competitive SW ranks. Americas High School - I think they had been that 'bubble' guard in 16th place a few times previously. Good to see them performing in Finals. SCHOLASTIC OPEN West Broward High School - They earned a medal in SA last year and they earned a medal in SO this year. Timber Creek - This talented group, too, earned a much-deserved medal during their first season in SO. Collins Hill - Showed that they are totally ready to keep up with the best that SO has to offer.
  17. BEST 'EXCLAMATION POINT' ENDING: South Shore Holy guacamole...!!! I'd need to watch the DVD in order to describe this absolutely right, but their closing mega-toss was some kind of a crazy combination of a leap frog, a summersault and a 'through the legs' move - and they NAILED it. That moment truly was one of the moments that I was glad that I witnessed in person at the UD Arena.
  18. Agreed. Those performers are continuing to prove that the program in place at West Broward High School is becoming one of the very best around. Last year, there were a medalist in Scholastic A. This year, they were a medalist in Scholastic Open. Next year...??? Well, let's just say that next year undoubtedly will be another great season for this rapidly up-and-coming guard.
  19. This screaming like you're at a European soccer match stuff has really gotten out of hand. You hear it all over the arena now. I had low-rent screamers behind me, too - and I was in the VIP section. And these people were more than likely staff members with a participating guard because they were still wearing their WGI credentials around their neck. Sure, everyone is excited for 'their groups' at finals. It's a spectator activity - definitely show your support. No one's suggesting that you sit on your hands and speak in a hushed tones, as if you were studying in a Christian Science reading room. But leaning forward and screaming at the top of your lungs across the people seated in front of you - especially when it's that classless 'TEAR IT UP, GINA!' stuff - is completely beyond the limits of acceptable 'spectator enthusiasm.' And anyone who holds a position in this activity that would allow them to receive a WGI credential knows better. Period.
  20. BEST '80s SOUND BITE: Blessed Sacrament Loved the clip of 'Mickey' that Blessed Sac used in their show on Saturday night. They'd been changing the music for that feature at every performance and the audience always appreciated the element of surprise. But that snippet of 'Mickey' - complete with a Toni Basil inspired pom pom routine - got the Finals crowd going even more than the other musical selections that they'd used previously. Only one word (well, two) can describe Blessed Sac's musical choice: Totally awesome...!!!
  21. Let's get this thread back on track. This discussion was started so we could call attention to the things that we LIKED and ENJOYED about the 2011 season. Please find a more suitable thread for the 'I think so and so sucked' conversations. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
  22. BEST 'FIGHT FOR IT' MOMENT: First Flight The guy in the rifle line who catches his solo toss even though he had a noticeable 'wardrobe malfunction' underneath it. I'd need to see the video in order to describe exactly what happened, but it looked as if when his partner behind him was helping him out of his cardigan sweater (or was it a suit jacket?), one of his hands got stuck in the sleeve or maybe the sleeve got tangled-up. Whatever it was, the crowd could tell that something 'unchoreographed' was happening and there was moment of 'uh, oh...' that could be felt through the audience. But as his rifle was approaching the catch zone, Mr. Flight Flight was reaching and stretching and doing everything he could do in order to get his hands on that rifle - and he did. Bam...!!! Granted, it might not have been the 'prettiest' catch in the history of Independent World Finals, but by God that rifle did NOT crash and burn the floor - and the audience definitely responded to the performer's tenacity and dedication to making that catch happen. Way to go, First Flight...!!!
  23. Several guards/designers this season really embraced the new opportunity to use lighting effects in their shows. Black Watch, Alter Ego and others showed us a glimmer (pun intended) of what's possible for lighting design within the color guard activity. So, now that you've seen lighting used in a few shows, what are your thoughts and reactions...??? Also, what types of lighting effects do you think we might we see during the coming years...???
  24. BEST ARABESQUE: Trumbull High School At the beginning of their 'Hope' show, one of the young ladies in Trumbull's talented ensemble holds a GORGEOUS arabesque position seemingly FOREVER. Wonderfully performed and lovely to watch. Talk about setting the tone for a beautiful show to follow - wow...!!! Final grade: A+
  25. Just a fun thread in which we can share all of the moments from the 2011 World Championships that we will ALWAYS remember: the shows, the performers, the moves, the props, the costumes - you name it. Ten or 20 years from now, when someone mentions WGI 2011, you'll say, 'Oh, yeah - that was the year that __________________ ...!!!' So, let's hear about ALL of your favorites...!!! - - - - - - - - - - EDITOR'S NOTE: Please don't turn this thread into yet another discussion about 'I don't understand Onyx's show.' The medals have been handed out. We're moving on. 'Nuff said. Thank you for your support. - - - - - - - - - -
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