Will a 2009 Blue Devils Title win signal a change ?

[BRASSO]

Your observation makes me think back to the Cavaliers show several years ago with the ladders. Perhaps the Blue Devils were "inspired" to use chairs this year because of the "inovation" by the Cavaliers. Perhaps the Cavaliers were "inspired" by picnic tables that were used by the Cadets. The main difference is the Cadets hauled those things all over the field rather than artistically plant them in one spot.

I might agree that the Blue Devils may have taken the visual presentation to a new minimalistic high point by slowing down the drill and keeping the movement close to the ground. The high velocity drills exhibited by the Cadets and the Cavaliers while performing death defying (remember the facial taken by the Cadets guard member on the picnic table) aerial maneuvers or exposed ladder climbing may be passe in your new model of knock-em-dead (or at least asleep) visual presentation.

Discuss amongst yourselves!

I'm wearing a new Nomex Saville Row tailored suit. Fire away.

Exactly. I can see the Cavaliers returning to the use of more props next year and going vertical more in their visual show more than the horizontal high velocity moves of late from them. The Cavaliers have certainly shown the ability to adapt to the new realities over the years, as well as to set the standard in some years. And in my view, they won't be the only Corps to slow down a bit their visual moves. ( and at the lower placing Corps, one can be assured that the Crossmen and Madison Scouts will begin to rethink their current high velocity drills as they are getting hammered on the execution side of this, with so much marching dirt in their shows that it's beyond the members abilities to execute their shows with much proficiency )

Edited August 4, 2009 by BRASSO

[euponitone]

I would also by this argument a little more if the blue devils were actually slowing down in order to play a more cohesive music book, but unfortunately, thats not the case. To my ear, it seems like they slowed things down a little (although they are still running at times), but kept the choppy music book. I am all for corps doing a little less visually if it means a more cohesive music program (see my comments on scv), but so far its like theyre taking the sizzle away, and still not giving us the steak

[Pinwiz]

If we're talking Vertical, then attention must be paid to Les Etoiles 1999. Scaffolding on the field. What a bizarre scene.

[EDIT: Thanks, CorpsReps!

]

Edited August 4, 2009 by Pinwiz

[euponitone]

With regards to demand:

Shouldn't demand be somewhat hidden? If you look at a show and say "Wow, that

looks hard!" doesn't that mean that the demand is a distraction from the artistic

idea that is being portrayed?

Maybe that is the real innovation that BD has developed. Cavies are also very good at

that. You watch either of these shows and all you get are the aesthetic designs without

any distractions.

It can be, but it doesnt have to be. To an extent, it should fit the show concept. In BD's show, i agree that it makes sense for the demand to be somewhat masked. There are however, times when in your face OMG THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE moments make perfect sense. Thats the cool thing about drum corps...there's a place for both. Doesnt mean you have to like one or the other either....

[marchedmanymoonsago]

If we're talking Vertical, then attention must be paid to Les Etoiles 1999. Scaffolding on the field. What a bizarre scene.

[EDIT: Thanks, CorpsReps!

]

That looks like being different for the sake of being different.

Another corps from Canada used chairs long before BD.

[Plan9]

It can be, but it doesnt have to be. To an extent, it should fit the show concept. In BD's show, i agree that it makes sense for the demand to be somewhat masked. There are however, times when in your face OMG THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE moments make perfect sense. Thats the cool thing about drum corps...there's a place for both. Doesnt mean you have to like one or the other either....

I was about agree and support the original post that you're commenting on here and then I realized... Yes, you're right. There really are different ways to see things in terms of execution. I personally would rather not see a performer grimacing in an attempt to make that set or manuever. I lean more towards graceful and effortless, like they're enjoying themselves. For instance, if you see dancers and they are clearly NOT having fun and they are right at the limit of their physical skill and endurance, it can sometimes be difficult to watch. BUT, there is an audience out there for the opposite, who want to see someone leap (if necessary) to the spot in order to make the formation work. In the closer of the Cadets show this year there are times when some of them seem to be almost pulling themselves in two directions. It's just pure physics...what has been designed for them is outside of the range for graceful...but that's OK. If you look at it from dome-cam it looks amazing, when you see it on multicam it looks like "hard work." All I can say is that this year we have some of the BEST SHOWS and diverse designs that have been presented in some time and the closeness of the various races reflects it! It's all good!

[byline]

Another corps from Canada used chairs long before BD.

Yup!

Les Châtelaines de Laval

Stade Olympique de Montréal (1982)

Photos: Collection André Thériault

(from this web page)

Which is not to take away from what Blue Devils are actually doing with the chairs. They have taken it to a whole new level, building on what has come before, both in terms of visual movement within the brass and movement within the guard (which also builds on much of what has come before, including some phenomenal winter guard shows like Fantasia's 2004 program, "Vanishing Act").

[marchedmanymoonsago]

Yup!

Les Châtelaines de Laval

Stade Olympique de Montréal (1982)

Photos: Collection André Thériault

(from this web page)

Which is not to take away from what Blue Devils are actually doing with the chairs. They have taken it to a whole new level, building on what has come before, both in terms of visual movement within the brass and movement within the guard (which also builds on much of what has come before, including some phenomenal winter guard shows like Fantasia's 2004 program, "Vanishing Act").

LOL, thanks!

[BRASSO]

I would also by this argument a little more if the blue devils were actually slowing down in order to play a more cohesive music book, but unfortunately, thats not the case. To my ear, it seems like they slowed things down a little (although they are still running at times), but kept the choppy music book. I am all for corps doing a little less visually if it means a more cohesive music program (see my comments on scv), but so far its like theyre taking the sizzle away, and still not giving us the steak

if we all recall, Last year the Blue Devils took the high velocity driil maneuvers we have come to know the last 2 decades to it's maximum limit.

They ran. That's right... they ran. Pell mell. They had their members run as fast as they could to get into position at several points in the visual show. This is of course about as high velocity as one can get in a show.... to have members run as fast as they can to get to the next formation.

We have now explored in this Visual Age of Drum Corps the deepest range of the high velocity drill ( notice that BD did not win with the fastest of this high velocity style of drill last year ).

How do the Blue Devils start their show this year ? You are correct if you said " with a slow cadence ". For most of their show, Blue Devils are doing frenetic things this year IN PLACE. This is a complete departure from the RUNNING they did last year. They have slowed down their high velocity visual moves considerably this year. They could always do brass and percusion and guard. This year's slower visual style approach will be replicated by them again next year should they win with this style this year. You can count on that. And some of the other Corps will rethink these high velocity drill patterns as well for next year in my view.

I do agree with you that the choppiness in the brass charts from BD is still prevalent, but I would submit that it's not as choppy as in past years ( but I won't quibble on this point ).

Edited August 4, 2009 by BRASSO

[chris ncsu]

There's a lot of over-analyzing going on here.