Cavalier's marching technique

[WPendergrass]

We did visual run-thrus with 8 or 4 count holds at the direction changes of every single set and subset. Holding that direction change, for each set, for the entire show was actually quite difficult.

I was a contra player and too much of a tick box to ever really have an "easy time" with any of our run-thrus.

[84BDsop]

The bent knee backwards marching was kind of the standard for most corps.

Not in BD 84, and Todd wasn't there at the time. We were taught to push off the toes and straighten the leg as we went backwards after completing the actual step.

Of course, the step sizes tended to be smaller then, so the technique was clean for the time....would NOT work as well with modern drill.

[84BDsop]

yes, Cavaliers often take large step sizes...

when they aren't playing.

The end of the 2002 show proves that incorrect...the guys in the center of the forms were hauling ### while playing....and rock steady.

[soccerguy315]

The end of the 2002 show proves that incorrect...the guys in the center of the forms were hauling ### while playing....and rock steady.

To be fair, you picked a show that is a decade old to illustrate your point. Not that that is bad, but it's the first one that came to your mind. On the other hand, if you named a year when the Cadets hauled ### while playing, you would likely always name the year immediately before, because they do it constantly.

Sure, sometimes they play and haul ###, but I don't think any other horn lines go "horns down", jazz run for a pit break, and go back to horns up and back to 8 to 5, horn line re-entrance as often as the Cavaliers do.

My post you quoted was partly in jest... obviously the Cavaliers are very good at what they do.

[lindap]

To be fair, you picked a show that is a decade old to illustrate your point. Not that that is bad, but it's the first one that came to your mind. On the other hand, if you named a year when the Cadets hauled ### while playing, you would likely always name the year immediately before, because they do it constantly.

Sure, sometimes they play and haul ###, but I don't think any other horn lines go "horns down", jazz run for a pit break, and go back to horns up and back to 8 to 5, horn line re-entrance as often as the Cavaliers do.

My post you quoted was partly in jest... obviously the Cavaliers are very good at what they do.

Your second paragraph reminds of purposeful-logistical-drill to remove spit! When I taught marching 3 decades ago it was body alignment first, feet second and horn line needed breathing exercises. Ah yoga! and I agree with your 3rd paragrapah

[fsubone]

Sure, sometimes they play and haul ###, but I don't think any other horn lines go "horns down", jazz run for a pit break, and go back to horns up and back to 8 to 5, horn line re-entrance as often as the Cavaliers do.

Blue Devils....?

[fsubone]

Not in BD 84, and Todd wasn't there at the time. We were taught to push off the toes and straighten the leg as we went backwards after completing the actual step.

Of course, the step sizes tended to be smaller then, so the technique was clean for the time....would NOT work as well with modern drill.

Must have come around after 84 then, because I can see it in the late 80s shows, and very prevalent in the early 90s. Go check 92 for a great shot of it during When A Man Loves A Woman, when everyone is hauling back, every knee is bent going back.

[84BDsop]

Must have come around after 84 then, because I can see it in the late 80s shows, and very prevalent in the early 90s. Go check 92 for a great shot of it during When A Man Loves A Woman, when everyone is hauling back, every knee is bent going back.

92 is, perhaps, NOT the best BD year to illustrate your point...

Edited May 19, 2012 by 84BDsop

[fsubone]

92 is, perhaps, NOT the best BD year to illustrate your point...

Still a great show Sam, and you know it.

It just has some amazing shots to illustrate the marching technique. There are numerous other corps you can look at, I was just trying to point out that even the Blue Devils did a bit of the bent knee before going back to straight leg.

[GeneralTsoChicken]

I hear a lot of "I don't like the fact that I've gotten beaten by the Cavaliers because they know how to play the game a lot better than my corps does" in some of these posts.

Let's be honest here. The Cavaliers are GOOD. The Blue Devils are GOOD. But on top of that "good", their staff and design team know how to play the game. They know how to cover up the weaknesses of the group. They know how to make easier things look hard and vice versa. The design portion of both of those teams has a LOT of the weight of these wins on their shoulders.

The Cavaliers march like that, because they are smart. Many groups march in a certain technique because they either can't let go of the past, or don't realize that there are things they could do to improve on that technique (which would instantly make their design better).