OKAY.... I'm gonna say it

[ThatsNotMyName]

I'll tell you the key to getting in finals: Have a well-constructed show, make sure your kids are trained and squeaky clean, and have enough vocabulary to compete at the top of the class. That's really all there is to it. There's no great secret there, nor is there some conspiracy.

Amen.

[ATXguard]

I'll tell you the key to getting in finals: Have a well-constructed show, make sure your kids are trained and squeaky clean, and have enough vocabulary to compete at the top of the class. That's really all there is to it. There's no great secret there, nor is there some conspiracy.

But what is a "well-constructed" show? What is "enough vocabulary to compete at the top of the class"?

Well trained and squeaky clean I agree with, but really, were all the shows that made finals squeaky clean, and were all the performers in those guards well trained to the same level and using consistent technique?

[justgin]

If the subcaptions were consistent from show to show everyone would still be yelling conspiracy, slotting etc etc etc. I personally was glad to see some movement in every class from prelims to finals. It proved that the judges were judging what they saw on that day and not basing their numbers on those previously given by others on different days.

My questions are more about the commentary, and how it relates to the rankings. When you go from the same section in your show being called "breath-taking" to two weeks later it is "a significant area of concern from a design standpoint", it's tough to figure out which panel you should trust when making decisions about how to move forward. When early feedback tells you that you're on the right track and need to just clean and address a few minor things, then you get that there are MAJOR design issues that need to be re-staged and/or re-written.....it's downright frustrating. I know they're individuals and have individual opinions, but shouldn't there be a bit more consistency about what is and is not on the "right track"? We've also had *the same judges* from one show to another completely contradict themselves this way.

It's been a source of concern for our guard, but also for many guards in my circuit this year who competed at regionals. Honestly, when instructors ask how to handle it, I have no idea what to tell them anymore other than, "contact the chief judge".....which is what I did. I don't want slotting and don't think anyone else does either. I do think that consistency as far as what is and is not going to receive credit is something we should all be able to expect, and that rankings from a design and writing standpoint shouldn't be something that widely varies with the same competitors from one show to the next.......performance sub-captions are where the variation should be expected based on the run, but the "what" shouldn't change 7 places in one day.

[GuardOne]

I'll tell you the key to getting in finals: Have a well-constructed show, make sure your kids are trained and squeaky clean, and have enough vocabulary to compete at the top of the class. That's really all there is to it. There's no great secret there, nor is there some conspiracy.

A well constructed show, strong training and enough vocab? Yup! But squeaky clean??? Come on now....

I have to say that there were very few guards that made finals that I would consider "squeaky clean". I could sit here and list a number of dirty flag lines that were blatantly dirty on Saturday night. Even in the upper ranks of the classes. Of course, I guess that would depend on your definition of "squeaky". And to those that managed to be clean WITHOUT the use of a solid colored flag, good on ya'! Solid colored silks definitely help hide errors and there were a lot of those on the floor. Even with them, a few guards were not only far from squeaky clean but in fact, disappointingly dirty. Obviously, cleanliness is not always necessarily a prerequisite for a finals slot.

Edited April 6, 2009 by GuardOne

[2rifle2]

The main song is called.. "Lullaby for Cain" by Sinead O'Conner

OMG THANK YOU! my life is complete =)

[GuardFan(atic)]

i absolutely LOVE aimachi, but how exactly do you go from 8th in ensemble in prelims, to first in finals. i was just looking at the recap, and saw someone else post something briefly about that, and find that a little odd. not so much odd, as incredible.

[Jeremy Denzer]

My question after looking at the recaps is not so much how did Aimachi jump 8 places in ensemble but rather how on earth did they come in 8th with such a masterful ensemble design?

[Jak]

But what is a "well-constructed" show? What is "enough vocabulary to compete at the top of the class"?

Well trained and squeaky clean I agree with, but really, were all the shows that made finals squeaky clean, and were all the performers in those guards well trained to the same level and using consistent technique?

All the finalists in IA, SA, and SO were very clean. In IO and the World Classes not so much. That's probably becasue there are fewer guards to choose from and a much larger percentage get into finals. In SA you have about a 15% chance to get in, so you really have to stand out. In SW, it's more like 66%. There aren't enough clean guards in SW to fill up finals. Plus, in A Class, excellence is weighted more. You will not be successful in A Class without being nearly flawlessly clean.

As far as well-constructed, just read the sheets. It's about quality and varied staging, seamless transitions, visual musicality, pacing, horizontal and vertical orchestration, etc.

When it comes to vocabulary, that's one area where I do think it helps to study the DVDs. If you want to be at the top of the class, watch the top of the class from the previous year and make notes about what they do. That doesn't mean you copy their choreography, but you can see what kind of phrase length you need, how often they use all parts of the triad, how much they toss, etc. That gives you a good idea of what to expect.

[GuardFan(atic)]

My question after looking at the recaps is not so much how did Aimachi jump 8 places in ensemble but rather how on earth did they come in 8th with such a masterful ensemble design?

So you're saying the problem isn't why they were put in first in finals for ensemble, but rather why they were put in eighth in prelims. even if you invert the question, my question of, 'how can two judges have such drastic interpretations of something,' remains.

[Stick Stack]

A bad prelims run?! Nah, I think at that level show to show variances don't have much of an effect on scores anymore... Besides, it was to my understanding that they good runs both nights. It sounds like the judges were just looking for different things.

Here's my question, because I don't really know. Aimachi's show to me seemed to have a lot of seperate entities that almost seemed to have their own style. (The weapon guys, the baton twirlers, the main Aimachi cast) I thought the show integrated these 3 elements together yet kept them seperate and unique at the same time. Do you think this might have hurt them ensembly the first night, having a different approach for the individual elements?

For me, it's hard to say because the parts that they did have in unison were all approached in the same manner (the opening dance, the flag feature) so perhaps this counterbalanced it. Anyone else know more about this?