Mr. Know it all

Now, I know that this scenario NEVER would be realized. It's just a fun example of one way in which the activity could be made "new." Consider: What if every guard in a IW were required to use some variation on the same basic piece of music for their program...??? Wouldn't that put in interesting spin, so to speak, on the shows that we'd see during the season...??? So, let's say that the "required" musical selection for 2010 were to be "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurhythmics. Ok...??? Think about what we might see: - SCV could use the original Top 40 cut. - NEI could use the Eartha Kitt acapella version. In French. - Braddock could use the DJ George Acosta 'Barbie Dream House, South Beach Unlimited' re-mix - Blessed Sac could use the Werid Al all-accordion salute to "Sweet Dreams" The list of possibilities goes on and on and on and on. Again, I know that this would never happen. But I just think it would be totally cool to unleash all of the creative energy behind those IW guards on that same piece of music and watch what bubbles to the surface it gets customized and stylized for two dozen IW programs. We'd definitely see some "new" things in competition, I'm sure...!!!

And let's not forget: Sebastienne's got a big bouffant on...!!!

Actually, wigs and extensions both are good, temporary options for changing hair color. Granted, a theatrical-quality, full wig can be expensive. But you're not trying to coif Celion Dion for her North American concert tour. You just need something to give 20-30 girls/guys a different hair color for an 8 minute color guard performance. So, you could go with a much less costly "costume" wig. And extensions are even more affordable. Especially when you're dealing with the "synthetic" fiber versions.

Oh, my gosh - YES...!!! I want close-ups, instant replay, commentators in suits delivering play-by-play reports, highlight reels - you name it.

I'm secretly hoping that the soundtrack for The Kiss: Act III" will be, drum roll, please, the music of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, better known as KISS. "Livin' in Sin at The Holiday Inn," anyone...???

Oh, my gosh, Linda..!!! Victor Vasarely DEFINITELY is in the same zip code as Lewitt, et al. I'm so glad that you mentioned him...!!! I always thought that a lot of Vasarely's work was sort of an "Act II" for some of the ideas and concepts realized of M.C. Escher and his emulators. Great stuff, all of them...!!!

I should care about Sol Lewitt because... He's sort of picking-up where Piet Mondrian left off in the mid-20th century. Compared to the underlying simple geometry of Mondrian, Lewitt's works, obviously, are much more influenced by 'electronic' graphic design, pop art images and advertising. Sol Lewitt took an existing idea - an idea that has become universally 'classic' - and he made it contemporary, yet again. I also like Lewitt's concept of his art not being permanent. His wall paintings are meant to be displayed for a limited time and then painted over and repainted for viewing on another all someplace else. Kinda cool, eh...???

Now that I think about it, has any guard ever created a three-season story line like this...??? I can remember several two-part productions, of course. But I can't immediately recall a "trilogy" of shows being presented in the way that Santa Clara is presenting their 'kiss' concept. Am I forgetting some really obvious examples or is this the first time that we've seen a tri-fecta like this...??? Anyone with a long-term memory better than mine is welcome to add their knowledge to the discussion.

Part III of 'The Kiss,' eh...??? Hmmm... What's this one going to be called, 'Kiss My A--"...??? Ba dump bump. (Sorry. That was just TOO obvious. I couldn't resist. Forgive me, for I am weak and backsliding...) Both of SCVs previous 'kiss' productions were sophisticated, beautiful and memorable. So, I see no reason why a third movement would be any less successful. And based on their '09 show, there is sort of a logical Third Act to the story line. The first act was passionate and romantic. The second act was bittersweet, if not at times emotionally painful. So, I could see an Act Three dealing with 'the kiss' that happens after the heart has been tamed and 'true love' is allowed to flourish. You know, all of that "love of a lifetime" stuff. That's just one idea, of course. There's 5,000 ways that an Act III could be developed. Can't wait to see how the SCV creative team pulls everything together for '10...!!!

I can't remember the origin of the quote, but it's certainly relevant to this discussion: "There are two ways in which one can be an artist: either you can create a beautiful work of art OR you can create an environment in which artists thrive." Well said, no...??? Perhaps there's something that can be done to better structure the "environment" in which this activity is created so that the "artists" doing the creating are, indeed, able to "thrive" and realize some new varieties of success.

Suuue...!!! SuuuuUUUUUuuuuue...!!! Come back to Dayton, Sue...!!! Oh, my gosh, Sue...??? Did you hear THAT...??? I think it was the ghost of Shirley Whitcomb, beckoning from the beyond the grave for you to swoop down from Canada and attend WGI Finals in 2010. Wait, Shirley Whitcomb is still alive. Maybe she was just calling you on speaker phone or something. All ghostly invitations notwithstanding, PLEASE DO come to WGI in 2010...!!!

Ditto, Jeremy. Of course, there is something to be said about individual perspective. And those of us who've "seen it all," - well, we definitely have a unique point of view, to say the least. But in any situation, an active recollection of the past is necessary in order to continue to move forward successfully into the future. Otherwise, you follow the same paths, do the same things, sometimes make the same mistakes and, ultimately, you stagnate - regardless of the endeavor or activity with which you're dealing. Remembering "what used to be" is an excellent device in helping you realize "what CAN be."

I agree: "New" should be elected the new black for the decade of the '10s. It seems that so many shows these days - while beautifully designed and performed - are starting to rely on a fairly small bag of tricks to make their visual/emotional statements. And in a big picture way, it also seems as if The Activity (capital 'A') doesn't place as much value on the element of "surprise" as it used to. Not sure if that's just me reading something that isn't there into the situation or if that's something that's really happening. Again, not to detract from the qualities of any show or performance out there, but how many shows did we see this year wherein the entire emotional layer of the program was a singular, unwavering, super-serious, heartbroken, mournful or quasi-religious note note that never invited the audience to share in the innate JOY of this activity....??? And how many more times are we going to see a program that ends with an "ensemble flag feature" staged in three horizontal lines up at the front of the performance space...??? It's an effective move, sure. (That's why so many shows end that way...!!!) But we all know darn well that there's about 250 ways you can make that same powerful, ensemble statement at the end of a program. Once more, I'm not trying to 'dis' any designer, performer or program out there. Those are just easy-to-recognize examples of what I mean by shows pulling key elements from the same, small bag of tricks. And when so many shows start looking alike and - more importantly - FEELING alike, then it's probably time to shake things up a bit and remind ourselves why we were drawn to this activity in the first place. As the title of this thread suggests, MAKE IT NEW...!!! For me, what hooked me on this activity is the kaleidoscopic expression of musical passion - ANY type of music. And yes, there are LOTS of additional layers that feed into the success of that expression. But that's what I see as the foundation of a great program. Through the use of color, shape and movement, 10-20-30 members of a performance ensemble both show us and lead us through their interpretation of "_________________________" (fill in the blank). So many fabulous inspiring shows have been created and performed over the years, so many unique moments that have lived well beyond their final performance. Anyone else remember when The Skylarks made flags 'pop' out of a genie bottle...??? And much of the reason that shows/moments like that have enjoyed the longevity that they've had is because they were, in some way, showing us something 'new.' So, for 2010, let's go out there and get you 'new' on...!!!

You know, that's really not such a far-fetched idea. Olympic-level "pageantry" activities like figure skating and gymnastics began using instant replay a few years ago. If Olympic judges have a hard time telling whether Sasha Cohen performed a triple Axel or a quadruple Axel, then it makes sense that WGI equipment judges might also have difficulty at times discerning between a 6 and 7 on a rifle or sabre. (Or a 35 on a baton, if you happen to be a soloist with Aimachi...!!!)

Well, I guess I had a lot more "favorite" moments than anyone else at this year's WGI Finals. Guilty as charged, your honor. Here's one more: OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN THE STANDS: Premonition During almost the entire Scholastic World finals competition - and it might have been the ENTIRE time - Premonition was sitting together in a big group in the audience and cheering loudly for EVERY SW FINALIST GUARD that performed. I thought that was EXTREMELY classy of them and an excellent example of how to be a great SPECTATOR as well as a great competitor. In their very short time on the circuit, Premonition easily has established themselves as one of the most enjoyable groups to watch and they seem to have just as much fun in the stands. Way to go, ladies and gentlemen of Premonition...!!!

Finally...!!! We have good news coming from the stratosphere of IW...!!! Can't wait to see both of these groups in action again. Although, didn't quite a few of Fantasia's members perform with Diamante this year...??? I wonder if all of those people will automatically return to Fantasia or if some of them might decide to stay with Diamante.

When it was announced last year that Pride of Cincinnati and Fantasia wouldn't be coming out for the 2009 season, both groups seemed to think that they would be back returning to competition in 2010. Is this still the case...??? Will we again be seeing these AMAZING ensembles next season...??? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your assistance...!!!

While looking through the recap sheets, I just happened to notice that the State of Florida had a grand total of 13 guards that qualified for their respective class finals. And the Sunshine State was, indeed, represented in all 6 classes. That’s pretty darn impressive. Of course, with Florida being a GINORMOUS state, population-wise, it’s not so surprising that several guards from within its boundaries would earn a spot in Finals. I do find it interesting, though, that the various guards represent just about every geographical area of the state, from the very “Southern” feeling panhandle regional in the North allllllll the way down to the steamy, spicy, international celebrity playground of Miami. Here’s a look at the ensembles that represented the State of Florida so incredibly well in Finals this year: Independent World 4. Northeast Independent, Jacksonville 8. Braddock Independent, Miami 11. The Knights, Orlando 14. Premonition, Ft. Lauderdale Scholastic World 3. Flanagan High School, Pembroke Pines (Ft. Lauderdale area) 6. Choctawhatchee High School, Ft. Walton Beach (Pensacola area) 13. Freedom High School, Orlando 15. Seminole High School, Seminole (St. Petersburg area) Independent Open 8. USF Winter Guard, Tampa Scholastic Open 10. Crestview High School, Crestview (Pensacola area) 14. Cooper City High School, Cooper City (Ft. Lauderdale area) Independent A 4. FIU Performance Ensemble (Miami) 10. River City Independent (Jacksonville) Scholastic A 2. Spanish River High School, Boca Raton 3. Lyman High School, Longwood (Orlando area)

I mentioned in another discussion that I thought that Marian Catholic's frayed/fringed, deconstructed, texturized flags were HANDS DOWN the best "custom" flag in competition. They perfectly translated the feeling of angel wings without hitting us over the head and screaming "Hey, everybody..!!! Look at this flag: ANGEL WINGS...!!! Get it...????" It was a perfect choice for their program about Heavenly ascension. And the design of the entire program was terrific all the way around, with the addition of "St. Peter's Golden Gates" at the end of the show making for a dramatic - yet, surprisingly subtle - end to the program. Marian Catholic really shined, so to speak, among an closely-matched group of medalists...!!!

I agree with the post above that I saw a lot of INCREDIBLE shows in Finals this year. Sooooooo many amazing performances out there - wow. But in terms of "setting standards, I'd have to give props to Diamante. They showed us lots of new way to use equipment this year. Their tandem rifle work is the best example of that. One particular section of move that sticks in my head is the passage wherein a guy tosses a 6 or a 7 and a girl LEAPS into his arms and makes the catch. They incorporated several moves like this into their show VERY successfully.

Include Northview right up there with Miamisburg, Center Grove and Choctawhatchee. They first qualified for Finals in 1985 - the year that the high school opened - and they've only missed finals a couple of times during the 25 years since then. As others have said, you can always tell when an organization has a historically strong program "behind the scenes," too. Schools such as those mentioned above make that point VERY clear with the level achievement that they continue to display year after year after year.

Hmmm... I'm looking at the official website for the Joan Blondell Dinner Theater right now, and I don't see anything about a new Sebastienne St. Jacques production ready for workshopping. Perhaps this is yet another of Sebastienne's "divine visions" that only he can discern. I do see on the fall bill at the JBDT a cabaret act called "Eyes Akimbo," but it says here that the featured performers will be selected from the panel of WGI adjudicators who evaluated IW prelims in Dayton this year. I don't even know what that means. I guess it's true: the artistic mission of the Joan Blondell organization is to pick up where The Gong Show left off back in the '70s. Atta girl, Joan.

JUST A FUN, FUN SHOW: Rancho Bernardo, Scholastic World Their production about spending an evening outdoors catching fireflies was downright enjoyable on many levels. Lots of shows these days are leaning toward the serious/scholarly side of the scale - which is perfectly fine. But one of the things that I think makes this activity so appealing is the VARIETY of show designs that you get to see in competition. Ranch Bernardo's program really did capture (pun intended) the simple joys of chasing fireflies on a starry night. And the guard looked like they were having a great time performing their show for us, too. (Isn't that what this activity is all about...???)

Nearly $3,000 for JUST the Winter Guard season...??? For a SW unit...??? Are you pullin' my leg...??? Granted, I'm a bit out of the loop when it comes to some of the nitty-gritty aspects of the activity, but is $2,000 to $3,000 really the norm these days...??? If so, then I'm surprised that we have more than just a dozen or so Scholastic guards at Finals. I mean, I just spent nearly $3,000 having my car repaired and I was like, "That's a lot of money to fork-over at once" - and I'm an adult with a full-time job in a private sector industry. Are all of the high school aged performers at Finals really paying this much to participate in this activity...??? I'm just curious to know if this is the norm all the way across the board or if this represents just the "high end" of what participation dues can be. Thanks in advance for any information you might have...!!!

There. I've now officially quoted myself. Bottom line on Stoneman Douglas: they'll DEFINITELY be back. It's always difficult to watch a terrific ensemble struggle through an atypically "down" season. "Ups and downs" almost always happen when a staff/guard undergoes a lot of changes in a very short span of time. But the Stoneman Douglas Program (capital 'P') has been so successful for so many years that one "off" season that comes about as a result of some unanticipated changes isn't going to affect the Program (capital 'P') in a long-term way. Guards that have a Program (capital 'P') as solid as Stoneman Douglas always find a way to maintain their success. I have no doubt that Stoneman Douglas will regroup, refocus and once again will be competing at the level excellence that we've come to associate with them.