Corps marching technique/style

[AZFan]

Like horn arc, for example? Close-toed "technique" was the #1 contributing factor to all the aches and pains I had when marching in DCA a few years back. I vowed to never march with a corps or teach a band or corps that stands that way. It simply amazes me that despite being show the enormous amount of evidence to the contrary, some corps/band staff insist it's fine.

It's imply not natural, and the human body is not designed for it.

In my own experience, parallel first (toes together) feels better on my hips than open first. I'm sure that in any basic dance training you've heard "turn out from your hips." Basically it just means to have the rotation up in the ball-socket joint of your hip, instead of twisting down the joints that aren't meant to move that way in the leg. Also, i find less people lock their knees with parallel than with open.

Disclaimer: perhaps my high school and college bands just have weird people who do atypical things, no corps experience (YET!!) here.

[Kamarag]

In my own experience, parallel first (toes together) feels better on my hips than open first. I'm sure that in any basic dance training you've heard "turn out from your hips." Basically it just means to have the rotation up in the ball-socket joint of your hip, instead of twisting down the joints that aren't meant to move that way in the leg. Also, i find less people lock their knees with parallel than with open.

Disclaimer: perhaps my high school and college bands just have weird people who do atypical things, no corps experience (YET!!) here.

I think in all counts it's your imagination based on your admittedly limited experience. Any medical professional will tell you standing in closed first for prolonged periods of time is unhealthy. You're also FAR more likely to "lock" your knees standing that way as opposed to the natural open first position.

If you want some real-world evidence, look no further than all branches of the US military, which stand in open first/open second only. And believe me, any vet (myself included) will tell you that nowhere in the world will you find more experienced folks trained in the mystical art of "standing still for no g-d reason for a really long g-d time".

Joking aside, it was the US Army where I learned the physical realities of standing in open first/second (attention/at ease/parade rest).

[MikeD]

ok... I have been attempted this a few times, and have an issue. How do you go from marching forward into a right slide? Like, if you are doing the box exercise (or whatever name other people use for it, forward 8, right 8, back 8, back left 8 and you end up in the same spot that you started). If you roll through count 8 of the forward move, then your right knee is like, in the space that your left leg should be swinging through to take the first step to the right. Also seems awkward for a box to the left also on count 8+1, with the right knee pointed straight ahead b/c you already rolled through, and the left heel on the ground in the new direction. I like it a lot for changes of direction that are less sharp though, hrmph.

if you are doing stop and goes (transitions from forward to backward, if other people use different names), I assume you again roll all the way through count 8. Do you re-touch with the left foot for count 1? Or does it stay on the ground?

With the band I teach, we do a 'cheat' step on count 8 in your box example...we turn the right foot half way in the direction we are going on count 8 so that the next left is not trying to cross over a completely straight right foot. In your bottom 'stop and go', we leave the feet on the ground and do a lift kind of move to go from forward to back, going from a roll step forward to up on the toes backing up.

[Jambando]

I had actually wondered about that, because with the technique I marched, you enter a demi-plie any time you go 4 to 5 or above, but if you're taller, it's not hard to do a 4 to 5 with normal technique, but the level change really isn't that extreme. It's not like entering a full plie, and if it's done right, you really can't see much of a change.

one thing though, with the BD technique for the straight leg, does the toe and foot stay low and pointed down. Because watching last year's show, I saw people "jazz running", and it seemed more like they were kicking forward than a normal jazz run?

We only use demi plies. Level change = bad.

For the second part, I'm not sure I'm fully understanding the question, so let me know if I miss the mark.

For jazz runs, we keep the toe pointed and it stays as low to the ground as possible. The heel crosses through first position - not cou-pied. I'm not sure what you mean by kicking forward, but I'm assuming it happens when the toe disconnects too far from the ground.

[fsubone]

We only use demi plies. Level change = bad.

For the second part, I'm not sure I'm fully understanding the question, so let me know if I miss the mark.

For jazz runs, we keep the toe pointed and it stays as low to the ground as possible. The heel crosses through first position - not cou-pied. I'm not sure what you mean by kicking forward, but I'm assuming it happens when the toe disconnects too far from the ground.

Okay. Thank you. I think that must be where your technique differs, because we used more of a standard jazz run, where the foot passes up through cou-pie on the crossing count. It probably just made it look different from my angle.

[DrillmanSop06]

In my own experience, parallel first (toes together) feels better on my hips than open first. I'm sure that in any basic dance training you've heard "turn out from your hips." Basically it just means to have the rotation up in the ball-socket joint of your hip, instead of twisting down the joints that aren't meant to move that way in the leg. Also, i find less people lock their knees with parallel than with open.

Disclaimer: perhaps my high school and college bands just have weird people who do atypical things, no corps experience (YET!!) here.

Drum corps spend MUCH more time stationary in that position. Even the most active college and high school bands will spend far less time with their feet at attention.

In '07, the technique was close-toed and when I came back in '09, it was at the 45. The 45 aligns the joints much better and also adds stability.

My high school used a backwards version of Phantom's third. That was honestly the most comfortable position I've ever stood in. I imagine that had I marched Phantom, I would've gotten used to their's as well. There's no compelling medical evidence to suggest it's any better; I just used it for four years vs. the rest of the time I spent in drum corps and college marching band (where technique was...let's say...loose).

[Dustin Shreve]

I will only touch on a few things in this thread.

Everyone has a technique that they are comfortable with, because they probably had it throughout their marching career. I am not one of these people. I am flat footed, severely flat footed. In high school, we used the Crown technique, but with less bouncing. We didn't jazz run hardly at all (but what high school band does?). This technique (even if I wore arch supports) was so bad for my feet and knees. For people like me, being on my toes hurts after a somewhat short period of time.

I went to the Cavaliers 2007 "What It Takes" camp (their "experience" camp) and I learned their technique. It is a bent leg where the passing foot is perpendicular to your placed foot on the "and" count. There is a roll step, of course. However, the backward march involves no standing on the toes. You roll back on the heel. This technique caused me absolutely NO PAIN except for the muscle pain in my legs from not using them like that. I prefer this technique over the others, because it works better for my body.

One thing about the cavalier technique. In simple terms, one concept is: if you were to take a picture of a cavalier member marching, you shouldn't be able to tell whether or not he is backward marching or forward marching. One other, like other people said, is that bent leg is more like walking than straight leg (just a little more exaggerated).

Although I am a member of the 2011 Cavaliers, I do know that these different techniques exist for a reason: THEY OBVIOUSLY WORK FOR SOME PEOPLE. So, to each his/her own.

[mellophonium]

I'd rather see this

than this

regardless of forward and backward technique matching.

Yes, I know all corps have some bad jolesch pictures.

[corpsband]

I'd rather see this

than this

regardless of forward and backward technique matching.

Yes, I know all corps have some bad jolesch pictures.

Regardless of "mechanical superiority" the geometry of individual marchers legs will always make the 'Cavies' style look dirtier than straight-leg. Which is why I agree with you -- "looking" cleaner *is* cleaner.

[kickhaltsforlife]

I love those two pictures of BD and Cadets. I love how everyone is maxing out the toe height with cadets.