Corps vying for World Class designation?

[bonelife]

Genesis wants to be World Class. WC corps don't like the idea of paying more money. Genesis is gonna have to get hella good to show that they deserve the promotion.

[Trask]

One thing beyond placement DCI may be evaluating may be the fans a corps would bring to shows. My friends who watched Oregon make the jump to WC said that they've got a die hard fan base out on the west coast.

Revenue sharing isn't as much of an issue when a corps moving up results in more ticket sales and profit across the board.

[cixelsyd]

I don't think it has anything to do with the current world class corps being happy with only 22 groups.....DCI has a better review process in place to make sure corps can sustain the financial burden of a full tour. This is a good thing considering the number or corps that moved into World Class in the late 90's to mid 2000's that did not survive more than 5 years before going under....the last thing we need is another Magic or Orlando, Teal Sound or Capital Regiment.

No evaluation process can prevent corps from going under.

Magic of Orlando, Capital Regiment and Teal Sound all passed their evaluations, and all were capable of sustaining full tours and doing all that WC corps do. Later, each of them lost multiple people essential to corps operations, could not replace them, and then failed. That can happen to anyone.

[WaxDCIFan]

Great insights from everyone on this blog. Much appreciated. I think there are other open class Corps besides Genesis that will be looking to move up soon. I don't think it's realistic to expect them to win open class before they can move up to world-class. If that's the case they just about have to make finals in order to move up (SCVC was 15th last year). The obvious fact remains that there are several open class who are beating world-class year in year out. It's more expensive and more difficult for these open class course to remain big and open clash. No event fees, harder on recruiting, harder to get sponsors, just harder in general. The move to world-class helps them survive.

[Stu]

other than as a feeder, i'm almost certain WC doesn't see any value in OC.

It is even worse than that. I personally know a bunch of performers who have taken the following route: They marched their first year in BDB or SCVC, and instead of moving directly to BD-SCV they moved to mid-level WC corps for a few years to gain more experience, then they spent their final two years or so back with the WC BD-SCV organizations. Thereby viewing even other WC corps as feeder-training grounds!

While I believe in freedom of choice, and for many reasons do not think something like red-shirting would be wise within DCI, this mentality of viewing other corps (outside of your own organization) as feeder-training is very disrespectful to those other corps.

Edited May 17, 2016 by Stu

[C.Holland]

Exactly Stu. There's a corps that operates a DCA corps under its umbrella that, when hearing how the membership talks at shows, makes me think they've been fed the idea that marching in one will get them into the other, though they don't see many move up that way.

I could see Genesis, Music City, and Legends move up to World Class based on size, but I'm not sure complexity of performance would do much for them yet. It may be a detriment to them to move up in a year or two. I'd wait another five at least.

It was tough to see Tarheel Sun move up and fall apart fast. Or Magic fold, then come back, then move up (all in one season), then fold again.

its like hearing the Glassmen working out ways to come back. I'd hope that they take a page from the Blue Stars and build that organization up slowly and steadily, as opposed to moving up like a bottle rocket and blowing up faintly at the end.

[Stu]

Here is an idea to make sure that the 22 corps in WC are always the highest level competitive corps in DCI (but the BD and SCV organizations would have a cow):

OC corps, if they so choose, are allowed by DCI to compete in WC Prelims during finals week. And in 2015 there were 3 OC corps who placed in the WC top 22 along with a whopping 7 OC corps who placed higher than 3 of the current WC corps. So at the end of every year take the top 22 from the WC Prelims and have them compete in WC the entire next season, while placements 23 on down compete in OC. I am positive that after a few years of corps bouncing in and out of WC based on competitive performance the corps vying for the 22^nd placement mark would increase in quality exponentially.

What about financial costs and the fear of a Glassmen, Teal Sound, Magic situation? Well, the OC corps who go to WC Prelims choose on their own accord to compete with the WC on that day, and with that choice comes the possibility of making it into the 22^nd spot. So it is up to each and every individual corps to make wise financial decisions on whether or not the chance of being moved to WC is worth the risk. And if they fold by making their own unwise financial choices in the name of getting to WC well so be it.

[Jeremy Denzer]

I like Stu's proposal.....the only thing I would change would be that world class is not determined by the length of tour a corps can commit to. What if as a member of the top 22 you had to commit to one major regional event (San Antonio , Allentown, or Atlanta) the following year. The current national touring model prevents some corps that perform at a world class level from being classified correctly.

[Stu]

I like Stu's proposal.....the only thing I would change would be that world class is not determined by the length of tour a corps can commit to. What if as a member of the top 22 you had to commit to one major regional event (San Antonio , Allentown, or Atlanta) the following year. The current national touring model prevents some corps that perform at a world class level from being classified correctly.

I used to be in favor of the old first-tour regional and second-tour go to national finals system; and for the OC I still am. But in the world of WC today that would end up punishing the successful. OC corps are not forced to compete at WC Prelims, they choose to do so; therefore they would also need to factor in that if they make that choice, and place 22nd or higher, it will now be their duty and responsibility to tour with their financial big-boy pants on. Otherwise stay in the OC, finish the season at the OC Finals, and do not compete at the WC Prelims.