huskerman15 Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Two questions: Exactly why do the Garfield Holy Name Cadets of Bergen County step off with their right foot? What chain of events led to that decision? That's pretty much it. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver_King Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 i was going to ask this question and forgot to. i also wanted to know what is the reason for toes together when standing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CuriousMe Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Two questions: Exactly why do the Garfield Holy Name Cadets of Bergen County step off with their right foot? What chain of events led to that decision?That's pretty much it. Thanks! To the best of my knowledge, it started in '85. Jeremiah had so many odd time signatures that some sets started on the left foot and other sets started on the right foot. Evidently the corps was having difficulty with that....so to break the left foot habit, they started marching on the right foot. That's continued, and is now just a way to differentiate (and I imagine it helps break rookies of bad marching habits...helps to kind of "start over" as far as technique). Personally, I always felt a bit bad when there was a young corps next to us on on Olympic retreat....poor souls spent the entire lap around the track trying to skip back into step, then skip out of step, then skip into step, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmencontra Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I found no difficulty marching on the right foot with the Glassmen. We did it, because right foot lead was based in dance. To my knowledge, Cadets dont dance so that theory goes out the window........ hmmmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Pirtle Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 (edited) Two questions: Exactly why do the Garfield Holy Name Cadets of Bergen County step off with their right foot? What chain of events led to that decision?That's pretty much it. Thanks! I once overheard Zingali explain to a fellow performer that right foot step off was common in dance and it was applied to the Garfield Cadets. He realized, early on, that the demands being placed on the performers eclipsed military marching. The "toes together" approach while at standstill was/is incorproated simply to smooth the visual line of the performer when in a static position. It offers a cleaner vertical line. On the down side, it also takes away some stabilization for the performer. Edited July 24, 2009 by Scooter Pirtle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabalumnidrummer Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Scooter Pirtle said: "The "toes together" approach while at standstill was/is incorporated simply to smooth the visual line of the performer when in a static position. It offers a cleaner vertical line. On the down side, it also takes away some stabilization for the performer." I was also told that it initially was instituted to help avoid errors ('ticks') in uniformity differences in feet angles at a halt. Not as much an issue in recent years, I imagine, with 'marching execution' being judged so differently nowadays as compared to years ago. As for the right foot stepoff of the Cadets, I still don't get that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchyTenor Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 (and I imagine it helps break rookies of bad marching habits...helps to kind of "start over" as far as technique). When I was a Toy Soldier drummer at Disneyland decades ago, all the drummers and most of the brass were drum corps people. (Don Porter, director of the Kingsmen, hired the musicians for the TSB) When they were teaching us our parade step, the choeographer kept telling us we were on the wrong foot. Being the stubborn, obstinate drum corps guys we were, we broke HER of trying to impose dance into military marching. At one point she threw her paperwork in the air and walked, so we figured out what she wanted to do and reversed it to a left foot lead. Garry in Vegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillH Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 To the best of my knowledge, it started in '85. Jeremiah had so many odd time signatures that some sets started on the left foot and other sets started on the right foot. Evidently the corps was having difficulty with that....so to break the left foot habit, they started marching on the right foot. That's continued, and is now just a way to differentiate (and I imagine it helps break rookies of bad marching habits...helps to kind of "start over" as far as technique).Personally, I always felt a bit bad when there was a young corps next to us on on Olympic retreat....poor souls spent the entire lap around the track trying to skip back into step, then skip out of step, then skip into step, etc... Having been there in 85, I can confirm that Curious is correct. We had many odd-numbered count phrases in Jeremiah, so there was definitely benefit in removing the feel of all musical phrases start on the left foot. I also think that was partly due to Zingali and Sylvester reaching further into the idea of incorporating dance. And yes, it sure did make retreat fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedawn Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 ...because sully said so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CuriousMe Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 ...because sully said so. LOL!!!! Now that's the truth, no matter the reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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