The Color Guard Thread

[Guard lover]

Had to mention one of the best sections ;) These color guards are fantastic!!! I am absolutely loving Crown, Bluecoats and Phantom! -All very different- Cadets are twirling it out like always and being their amazing Cadet selfs. I saw some clips of SCV and I have never been more entertained by Les Mis in my life! Everything they do is so elegant and perfectly detailed! Scouts are so strong, congrats on 75 years of brotherhood! Cavies... transitions.... you got it! Love their sabre book though. Still haven't seen BD, I'm sure they're giving me fierceness for days, still waiting for Boston to pick it up and pull it together already but I know they'll work it out and be clean, strong and at tape ;) Need to watch BK... Anyone else I need to keep an eye out for?? Yes, this is a great year for drum corps, but it is also a FABULOUS year for color guard!

Edited July 3, 2013 by Guard lover

[George Dixon]

Agreed. GREAT guard year for sure. Looking forward to seeing how all these programs develop over the season!

[chaddyt]

I went with BD only because that caption has been so good and so solid for so long. Whatever they're doing with that program is working and will be hard to beat.

[SFZFAN]

The list seems to be missing several corps.

[Guard lover]

The list seems to be missing several corps.

Fixed, ty

Edited July 3, 2013 by Guard lover

[Guard lover]

Any predictions for guard placements?

Top 12:

1. Carolina Crown ( If they have a great run)

2. Blue Devils

3. Cadets

4. Phantom Regiment (May need to watch out for SCV, clean dance features can only take you so far)

5. Santa Clara Vanguard

6. Bluecoats

7. Madison Scouts (Hopefully BAC but with this special year, they may be the corps to beat)

8. Boston Crusaders

9. Blue Stars

10. Cavaliers

11. Blue Knights

12. Spirit of Hotlanta

Edited July 3, 2013 by Guard lover

[mathi367]

I agree with the Guard rankings except I see Cavies' guard at 8

[Guard lover]

I agree with the Guard rankings except I see Cavies' guard at 8

You're probably right... what happened to Boston? I'm so traumatized by that movie theater performance

[Guardguy89]

I voted for Crown - although it will be close with Blue Devils

I feel that Crown has the edge though. As good as Blue Devils are, I don't feel that the demand placed on individuals is as high as Crown. I feel that they don't spin as much, have less variety in tosses (and never have any body under those tosses) and have a less integrated flag book.

That said, the Blue Devils excel in dance, showmanship and technical proficiency, so I think the the judges sometimes overlook things that other guard programs get killed on.

Crown's guard is attempting work throughout the show that test the limits of the performer. The individual demand on the performers and the work that they are being asked to do is beyond phenomenal. The variety of release points alone is astounding!

Later,

Mike

[saxfreq1128]

Crown or BD.

I think Crown's writing is the most elegant thing on the field these days, and it's also an extremely difficult book -- moreso than BD's in some ways. Their flag book has been the best for some years now, and yeah, they toss a lot more. Theirs is the guard I watch most for the writing. Just awesome stuff all around. I'd give Crown the technical edge. They remind me of the old Cadets powerhouse guards, except with much (much, much) more elegant writing. Crown's guard is the most "colorguard" of the two.

I think I would give BD the creative edge; the variety of things BD's guard brings to the table for their program really isn't being matched by anyone else. So much of the creative weight of BD's shows would be lost if the guard weren't there. Also, they spin a greater variety of things than Crown this year (bouncy ball, hula hoops, half moons, whatever else), which shouldn't really count for anything but probably does.

Also, BD's guard is asked to interpret the program in ways little less boxed in than Crown. You can rely on crown's guard to approach the show in pretty predictable (not a bad thing) ways. When you hear Crown's program without seeing it, you can pretty readily predict what they'll do based on the musical impacts: flag feature here, big sequential tosses there during matching what's happening in the music, etc. BD is a smudge less honed in, in that regard. And they do dance better than anyone else.

...But Crown's book is arguably more difficult, and in many ways, more impressive.

So it's a toss-up.