Official 2016 Staff Changes

[mj3004]

Cadets Announce Guard Team For 2016
from George Hopkins

There has been a great deal of speculation regarding the color guard instructional staff for the Cadets of 2016. After conversations and discussions, here below is the team for the summer of 2016. There may be some additions as time continues but as of today we are proud to announce the group of men and women coming together to provide the best in instruction for this year’s addition of the Cadets.

KRISTY TEMPLIN-CAPTION SUPERVISOR
Having been involved with the color guard activity for over 20 years, she plays a key role in the instruction and overall teaching process for the Cadets and Cadets2 Color Guard.
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Kristy served as the Designer and Choreographer for the Hawthorne Caballeros in 2013 and C2 in 2015, where as a co-supervisor with John Lemire in 2015, the guard won their first ever guard caption award in the four year history of the corps.
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At the scholastic level, Kristy has also taught numerous high school programs on the East Coast and across the United States. She is currently the Director and a Designer of the Mechanicsburg High School Scholastic World Winter Guard. They recently appeared in Montreal and Brooklyn as part of the CONTEMPORARY COLORS Project.
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In addition to teaching, Kristy has been an adjudicator and mentor. She sits on the Administration Board of the Keystone Indoor Drill Association (KIDA), where she had the honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009. She was previously an adjudicator for DCA and has been on the WGI Advisory Board for the past three years.
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Kristy has her Master’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is the Director of an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic in Harrisburg, PA.

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JOE HEININGER-LEAD DESIGNER
Joe Heininger has been in the pageantry activity for 22 plus years. At 22 he started his drum corps teaching career with the Boston Crusaders as a movement technician. He then went on to join the creative teams of drum corps such as the Crossmen, the Phantom Regiment, the Glassmen, the Spirit of Atlanta and most recently the Santa Clara Vanguard.
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In addition to his extensive experience in the drum corps activity, he has had a successful career in the winter guard arena as well. For 20 years he served as the artistic director and show designer of the Black Watch winter guard until the 2015 WGI season when he took over the Dallas based Black Gold winter guard. He also served as the show designer at Mechanicsburg High School for the past 8 years as well as countless other independent and scholastic groups.
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Joe’s perspective on the pageantry activity is very unique due to his professional life as a performance wear and product designer that serves our activity. In his early career he teamed up with Style Plus as a product designer where he spent several years before accepting a position with A Wish Come True. Since 2010 Joe and A Wish Come True have worked together to create some of the activities most memorable looks.

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KATIE HOPKINS – Movement

Specializing in movement, Katie Hopkins has contributed choreography and instruction since 2010 and was an instrumental part of The 2011 Cadets' World Championship title. 2016 will be her seventh year as a member of The Cadets' Color Guard staff.

Katie is a founding member of ARCOS Dance and has performed in its signature pieces The Uncommon Self and Bolero in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and most recently, The Warriors: A Love Story at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Originally from Arlington Heights, Illinois, Katie graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, with a concentration in teaching and performance and a minor in Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management.

From 2006 through her age-out in 2009, Katie was a member of The Cadets Color Guard, serving as co-captain of the guard in 2008 and 2009. She was named Cadet of the Year in 2009 and also received DCI's prestigious George Zingali Award , presented through DCI

Katie ha s taught a number of guards including Marian Catholic , Alter Ego Independent World Guard, Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana, and Plymouth Canton High School in Canton, Michigan.

Katie is invested in maintaining a high level of physicality and authenticity with movement through performance, teaching, dancemaking and improvisation.

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CURTIS UHLEMANN – Movement
An educator for sixteen years, Curtis employs a dynamic teaching method developed to cultivate and invigorate dance students through a blend of advanced technical skills and experimental choreography. He has had the distinct privilege of working with over one thousand students nationally and internationally, many of whom have continued their education at such highly recognized arts institutions as NYU Tisch, Cal Arts, University of Arizona, Boston Conservatory, Utah State, Florida State University, New World, North Carolina School for the Arts, Cornish College, and University of Texas-Austin among others.

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Curtis toured the United States teaching and performing for the duration of eleven years and has served as a choreographer and designer for over twenty different performance ensembles including the ten time world champions The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. He is one of the original creators of ARCOS Dance.
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CHRISTY HOBBY

Christy has recently graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and a Minor in General Business. She began color guard in 2005 and would later become a member of the University of South Florida Herd of Thunder and USF Winterguard from 2009-2014, with leadership roles from 2011-2014. She is also one of the directors for the Independent A group, Tampa Independent. Christy marched with the Cadets from 2011-2013 and taught for the 2015 season. She is extremely excited to continue her work with the 2016 Cadets!

ABIGAIL MALLOY

Abigail Malloy has had many years of color guard experience as both a performer and educator.
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Born in Miami, she attended G. Holmes Braddock High School and joined the winter guard her freshman year, thus beginning her color guard career. After only one season, Abby became a member of the local guard Braddock Independent World where she marched from 2005 to 2009 and again in 2011. She received two distinguished service awards during her time at Braddock Independent and served as captain for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
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Abigail's drum corps career began in 2005 when she marched in the Magic of Orlando Color Guard, later serving as captain in 2006. In 2007, she joined The Cadets Color Guard, where she marched through her age-out summer in 2010. Abby was a featured soloist in 2009 and a captain in 2010, and she received distinguished service awards in both 2009 and 2010.
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Professionally, Abigail began teaching the visual program at John A. Ferguson High School in 2006 and the movement program at Cypress Bay High School in 2011. She kept both positions until 2013 when she moved to Massachusetts to pursue a degree in Elementary Education at Salem State University.
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Abby continues to apply her passion for teaching, as she is currently working with multiple color guards throughout the tri-state area. She is looking forward to returning to her home at The Cadets for her third year on staff.

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SAM WATSON
Sam Watson, a resident of Indianapolis, marched with The Cadets in 2009 and returned to teach the color guard from 2011 through 2015. This will be his sixth summer as a member of The Cadets Color Guard Staff.

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Sam previously performed with the Pride of Cincinnati Winter Guard (2008-2013) and The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps.

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His teaching experiences include Carmel High School, IN (2013-present) Centerville HS, OH (2008-2011) and several summers as colorguard instructor for Fred J. Miller Summer Clinics.

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MICHAEL ZABLOCKI
Michael Zablocki is a resident of Baltimore, Maryland where he got his start in color guard at Westminster High School in 2002. He went on to march at The Cadets from 2004-2006. Michael has also performed with The Blackwatch in 2008. After his marching career, Michael went on to teach his high school from 2008-2010, The Colts Drum & Bugle Corps (2008), The Glassman Drum & Bugle Corps (2009-2010), Hawthorne Caballeros (2013), and Stevenson University Marching Band (2011-2012). Michael is currently on staff with Mechanicsburg Color Guard and has been since 2009.
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When Michael is not teaching color guard, he is a full time 2nd grade teacher.

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WILL CALLOWAY
A long time student of ballet, modern dance, and theater, Will Callaway has been involved with color guard since 2002. Drum corps experience has included involvement with Magic of Orlando, Crossmen, Reading Buccaneers, and the Blue Coats. Will also performed for four consecutive years with the WGI World Class finalist the Black Watch from Mt. Laurel, NJ. Will has taught several groups on the east coast, including WGI finalist, Mechanicsburg HS.
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Will is originally from Harrisburg, PA and is currently living in Austin, TX where he serves as the Asst. Director for the Round Rock HS and also serves as the Color Guard director of Leander HS.

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CHANCE LIVAR

This is Chance's 3rd year as the Director of the Black Gold WInterguard. Chance has been connected to the color guard activity for over 15 years now. He has marched Ars Nova Winter Guard A, Open, and World the Black Gold Independent World Class Winter Guard. Chance marched two summers with Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corp and then went on to serve as the Tour Director for them for three years.

Chance has taught color guard camps throughout the nation as a staff member for Marching Auxiliaries. Since then has worked at Lakeview Centennial HS, Western Hills HS, Alvarado HS, Trinity HS, Mansfield, Summit HS, Midlothian HS, Mansfield Timberview HS, and Allen HS.

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If you are interested in the Cadets, the audition camp for both the Cadets and C2 will be held November 20-22 at Hopewell High School in Pennington, NJ. For more information or to register go to
https://yea.org/programs/cadets/cadets/join

for any and all information

[Tobias]

Hopefully it's a great bunch, I don't know anything about guard people so comments welcomed.

[phd-student-TTU]

So freaking what? If Hop feels that this is the right move for the corps, than its the right move. For all of you criticizing - how many years have you successfully run a corps, and how many Championships rings do you have as a corps director? Yeah, that's what I thought. Opinions are like a--holes, everyone has one.

That's a separate argument from the one at hand. But while we're on it...let's not forget how close to folding the Cadets were under his watch and how many times staff weren't paid on time because there wasn't any money.

And btw, if it weren't for the marchers, he wouldn't have any rings. They're the ones who do the real work.

[xandandl]

Several pages of thread topics back within August finals, I expressed the dilemma/crossroads Hopkins had to face relative to the guard: who goes? Bruno or Katie? His daughter stays.

Edited September 28, 2015 by xandandl

[Tobias]

Several pages of thread topics back within August finals, I expressed the dilemma/crossroads Hopkins had to face relative to the guard: who goes: Bruno or Katie? His daughter stays.

There's always "choices" made. Seriously Bruno should have been moved into Assustant Director position. He was wonderful with the kids but as I said, the guard has weighed down the corps for years with the exception of 2011 and 2014. Hoping these big changes bring the guard to level of brass and percussion,

[xandandl]

There's always "choices" made. Seriously Bruno should have been moved into Assustant Director position. He was wonderful with the kids but as I said, the guard has weighed down the corps for years with the exception of 2011 and 2014. Hoping these big changes bring the guard to level of brass and percussion,

Whatever Bruno was paid it wasn't enough for the quality and experience of leading the corps, particularly when Hopkins was jetsetting to/fro Allentown and dueling with DCA. The Cadets are only as great as they are because of Bruno Z, Rudy*, Moe LaTour**, etc over the years. Hopkins has a history of letting go many of those who by action out shine him in leadership with his theories. While he gives the "Landmark talks,"/aka "hop talks," these others walk the walk often despite him.

* he left the admin after several seasons as asst. director to work with Boston before being hired back to run YEA's USSBA which became USBANDS.

**Moe wasn't brought back a few seasons, left during others, before his health concerns made touring too much of a challenge. He was a God-send for Hopkins' early decades.

Edited September 28, 2015 by xandandl

[kdaddy]

I didn't know Bruno had much of a guard role anyway. I thought his role was primarily administrative. He is still listed as Assistant Director (and it appears that the staff page has been updated with guard bios, so his Assistant Director role would appear to be up to date).

If Hopkins's daughter's role is "movement specialist," is that a problem? Is she no good? My point being, it's not as though Hopkins elevated her to a lofty title. It sounds like she's one of two choreographers.

While I don't support hiring a significant other as caption supervisor, the bigger question to me is "did they replace the previous designer with a good/better designer?" I don't know the answer, but it seems that the new guy's resume doesn't contain corps at the level of Cadets.

Edited September 29, 2015 by kdaddy

[kdaddy]

The Cadets are only as great as they are because of Bruno Z, Rudy*, Moe LaTour**, etc over the years.

Is there a better tour manager name than Moe LaTour?!?

That's like brass caption head Fred Trumpet.

[oldsoprano]

Is there a better tour manager name than Moe LaTour?!?

That's like brass caption head Fred Trumpet.

Back in the 70s, Spirit of Atlanta had a horn instructor for a short while named Jon Hornline.

[xandandl]

Is there a better tour manager name than Moe LaTour?!?

That's like brass caption head Fred Trumpet.

Emil "Moe" LaTour is a DCI HoFer. Look up his bio. He's most impressive in his home-spun New Orleans style. God be good to him always.