LisaLisaMoMeesa

Danceswithsalad..... Last night I saw your name on the members list and I almost peed myself from laughing so hard....I love your screen name!!!!! %-)

I've said it before, I'll say it again (x infinity). Work that simple (i.e slams and spins) had BETTER be clean. Today's guards do slams and spins as a warm up. They're called "basics". (for a reason). Perhaps this is where the argument comes from.... I know today's guard could do yesteryears shows...but could the old guard do today's shows? Could it be that with some, the old v. new argument is based on insecurity...based on the inability to say "Wow, these kids today would kick my a##." (Uh oh...I'm sure I've just ###### off alot of people......) :o) Let me elaborate on one point. When people like GMichael say it's not a old v. new argument but a clean v. dirty argument, I can appreciate that.....because as a guard instructor, I agree with that. He points to some very good guards of today that are clean and spin w/ technique. He also made direct points about clarity, the readability of what the guard is doing, etc. I felt, from reading his post that he doesn't like dirty guards. Period. They're not dirty because they're spinning a sabre. They're not dirty because they're "dancing and rolling around on the ground"...they're dirty because their instructor couldn't be bothered to clean them. That's what I got out of his opinion. It's an opinion I can agree with and respect. Just becuase a guard isn't wearing white boots and spinning 7 ft pole with a flag made out of heavy nylon doesn't automatically mean they suck. There are many "old school" that make that knee jerk assessment. maaan, I'm cranky.... I need to go to bed!!!! :(

When you set about to write a new winter guard show, what are some of the criteria you are looking for in music? I'm finding that many designers do the "knee jerk, I have no idea what this music is about, but it sounds 'essoteric' so I'll use it so everyone will think I'm this avante-guard instructor". Do you let the members have a say in the show? What is it you look for?

Something has struck me in this thread....it's not "old guard v. new guard". I've seen PLENTY of sloppy old guards, just as I see PLENTY of clean new guards. I really think one shouldn't ask themselves if they like new guard v. old guard, just weather they appreciate ANY guard that takes the time to be clean and precise. Look at Cadets. They're "new guard" but amaze me, as well as many "old farts" time and again. People like to point to old guards such as 27, Madison, etc....but there's times when they've been sloppy too. It's a matter of how persistant the guard instructor wants to be in demanding clean work. I personally do not think sabres belong on a field. Even if you had 50 guard people in a block..it still isn't visual. I think we're in an era where you (as a visual designer/guard instructor) can try new things. Some things work, and some things don't. I've looked back over the years of guards I've choreographed...there's some stuff I say "What the #### was I thinking?????" I just really don't think it's old v. new.

Hey, thought this would be a good place to talk about stuff that faces instructors on a day to day basis and see how others deal with the same ol' thing: low/no budgets, difficult directors and/or parents, etc, trying to find good music, cosutmes, warm up routines, first time instructor, exiting insturctor....what ever. %-)

I think this can be considered a "Scary" moment. I was about 20 at the time and teaching this one guard. For thier senior final show, the girls wanted to do a "Phantom of the Opera" number. (Hey, it was a hundred years ago!) For "Music of the Night" I choregraphed a dance number between the guard captain as "Christine" and a graduating guy that played Tuba as "Phantom". Well, they couldn't practice together too often, so I ended up practicing with him as "Christine". I think the emotions of the song were misplaced with him. One practice (THE LAST PRACTICE) he tried to kiss me!!!!!! YIKES. I thought I was going to go to #### or get fired or something. So I told the band director and was all freaked out. That was very strange.