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Lack of "wow" drill moves


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BKs unfolding box to finish the show is pretty wow

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The last couple of years, including this year, I have noticed a lack of drill moments/moves, whatever one wants to call them in modern drum corps that make my jaw drop and go WOW!

For me these were best represented by Cadets in the 90's, and Cavaliers, SCV, and Cadets in the 00's, and Carolina Crown the past several years with Leon May at the helm. What is the reason for this?

Because the caption stopped being "Marching and Maneuvering" about 30 years ago. Visual means visual, not just drill, and the Blue Devils were the first to figure out that drill does not have to be the skeleton of the show upon which you hang all the other elements. In fact, the Blue Devils visual approach is more staging based: they figure out who and where everyone needs to be at a particular point in the show, almost like storyboarding a movie. Then the dance, drill, and everything else fills in the blanks.

A lot of people disagree with the change, and that's a matter of personal opinion. But the simple fact remains that the Visual sheets make no requirement that drill be the mainstay of your visual program.

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Because the caption stopped being "Marching and Maneuvering" about 30 years ago. Visual means visual, not just drill...

But most "wow" drill moves happened in the past 30 years, not before.

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The last couple of years, including this year, I have noticed a lack of drill moments/moves, whatever one wants to call them in modern drum corps that make my jaw drop and go WOW!

For me these were best represented by Cadets in the 90's, and Cavaliers, SCV, and Cadets in the 00's, and Carolina Crown the past several years with Leon May at the helm. What is the reason for this?

Sure Michael Gaines departure has a lot to do with it, but also Cadets getting away from "run and gun". Is it the emphasized focus on body movement and simultaneous responsibilities? Or just that corps are straying away from anything that is too hard to clean?

This is an aspect of DCI that I really miss. I want something like Star's Cross to Cross again, or the folding block from SCV '99 or the entire Cavaliers '06 show.

Love this year's shows, but definitely an element I miss.

IMO Boston 014 show is at the top of demand /content / body movement. 30 % to 40 % above the rest.

Edited by emc2
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BKs unfolding box to finish the show is pretty wow

Not only that, they have two counter-rotating circles at the end of the unfolding box.

And then, in Avian, all that crazy movement that resolved into the Firebird was pretty awesome, too.

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Unfortunately, the corps that wins sets the tone and since BD has dominated and has been rewarded, the era of amazing drill has been replaced with furniture and ramps.

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Unfortunately, the corps that wins sets the tone and since BD has dominated and has been rewarded, the era of amazing drill has been replaced with furniture and ramps.

If you can't see any amazing drill in the Blue Devils show this year, then I... I can't even...

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The last couple of years, including this year, I have noticed a lack of drill moments/moves, whatever one wants to call them in modern drum corps that make my jaw drop and go WOW!

For me these were best represented by Cadets in the 90's, and Cavaliers, SCV, and Cadets in the 00's, and Carolina Crown the past several years with Leon May at the helm. What is the reason for this?

Sure Michael Gaines departure has a lot to do with it, but also Cadets getting away from "run and gun". Is it the emphasized focus on body movement and simultaneous responsibilities? Or just that corps are straying away from anything that is too hard to clean?

This is an aspect of DCI that I really miss. I want something like Star's Cross to Cross again, or the folding block from SCV '99 or the entire Cavaliers '06 show.

Love this year's shows, but definitely an element I miss.

Last summer I personally feared for those kids in Crown because of the demand they were asked to perform, while playing. Have you noticed how many holes are in the percussion section in many of the corps this summer? The demand is still there and I get wowed every time I'm at a show. All these kids are amazing in what they do and I can't thank them enough but I try.

Irving

Fan of the Arts

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Unfortunately, the corps that wins sets the tone and since BD has dominated and has been rewarded, the era of amazing drill has been replaced with furniture and ramps.

Although I agree that the winner can influence trends ( I also think it's not just #1 but at least top 5 ) I think it is more evolution of the so called drill or staging. There are still such great moves just not 11 and 1/2 minutes of beating one over the head with it. Like most things, after a while people tend to see what can be done next to move the activity forward. How else can what we do be done, how can we incorporate more, how can we re define areas of a football field, how can we change focus. Now one can agree or disagree with how or even why something is done BUT personally i believe if we didnt at least explore different ways, maybe even returning to a few from the past , we wouldn't have an activity today. Creative people need to, explore and re- define and not be so comfortable and maybe stale. Sometimes it works , sometimes it doesn't but IMO a needed exercise in development. This surely can disturb some for sure, especially if it changes what we may have done. we may even feel that we do not see any resemblance of an activity we loved BUT IMO all we need to do is ALLOW ourselves to see the things that are totally the same and not what might be so different. I really think if one ALLOWS themselves to do this they might be surprised how much alike we really are and how much more one can enjoy what is presented.....JMO

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Blue Devils 2014 - The movie reel drill (about 30 seconds in). Amazing lead up to it, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UA9kav8F_Y

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