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Anyone else watching WGI guard finals tonight?


KVG_DC

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5 minutes ago, GUARDLING said:

glad you are enjoying 

I'm usually all about the percussion, but these guard shows are fun.

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On to Independent World.

Interplay.  Caught this show early on and want another look.  It's a provocative statement about national identity in these polarized times.

Faded stars in the upper left and faded stripes in the lower right and jagged line in the center capturing the stripes of "flag divided."  A a red silk soloist in the stars section and a blue silk soloist in the stripes section.  As more silks come out red and blue stay to their sides.  On the line are sabres and rifles.  Two flags come to the line and every one on it splits off with the flags crossing over.   Music is soft and extremely minimal.  Haunting effect.

A balance pyramid is done at center lifting two members to press hands at the line.  Red and blue have now switched sides but remain fairly divided albeit two that swirl over the line.  White silks emerge on flags and everything goes a translucent white now.  Two rifles toss and catch each other's rifle at the line with a glare at each other.   They then throw the rifles out and join.  A closing line, sans colors, joins hands from end to end meeting at the middle.

 

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Black Gold. 

Art Nouveau clock on the tarp. There's a rotating platform in the center that runs the hands.  

Sharp opening as they run out lay in the circle at what would be the minutes marks with a huge toss soloist on the platform. Extended rifle ripple around the floor and equipment moving all over as a single flag is relayed around the floor in tosses. More rifle ripples, while on the move this time.  Flag feature coming in as well.  It's an elegant show and the busy tarp is offset by the white flags with minimal patterning.  Ephemeral show.  Seems almost like something Blue Knights would be up to.

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Cypress Independent 

Very red orange tarp going on with some interesting graffiti props in upper right and lower left corners.  Their big opening solo is a rifle toss caught one handed at the butt end while entering a cartwheel.  Precise rifle and sabre work to open (as seems the standard design).  And flags with green silks getting introduced. It's all well performed and put together.  The degree of difficulty is there, it just seems to lack things that stand out as unique. The more I watch the more i notice formulas and the more I like shows that break out of them.  This one isn't doing much of that.  

Oh excellent big flag release moment there though.  Everyone with a high toss and clean catch.  

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Bluecoats Indoor.  Black tarp with neon soundwave images here and there.  Very minimalist music/sounds.  Very hip vibe going on here as they roll into this.  It's part Kinetic Noise part Downside Up. All Bloo.  

Theyv'e got rolling three tiered cubes they're doing stuff with as well.  They're having loads of fun but seem a touch tight.  ooh. a sabre drop but she got it back as it bounced up. There's a pop funk feel to the music at times.  Deconstructed sort of thing like Prince's Batdance (although that's not it.)  Ooh another drop on a solo rifle.  It's a hot show, they seem a little tight and a bit off at times.  Oh BIG flag moment as they fling them to the back in unison then sass out to the ending.

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Fantasia.

Very elegant opening dance.  Solo dancer then ensemble to rifle toss over narrative as it sets the Judy Garland theme.  Its mostly spoken word with some piano, but they're making it so lyrical with the equipment work and dance.  OH really nice rifle feature in a passing block as the singing breaks out for some phrases.  Wow.  They are on with catches and timing tonight.  These big dramatic tosses are so clean and sharp the crowd is just bursting after them. Flags finally come out.  They're hypnotic as nothing is in unison but everything is patterned.  And now unison, it gets a big cheer as Over the Rainbow begins.   Flags are Judy's face with rainbow tint into black.   It captures the wistful/sad/glamor of Judy quite well.  BIG close with Over the Rainbow in full orchestra (the mature Judy version).  Crowd loves it.  I do too.

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Etude. 

Gentle, elegant, dark piano.  Big moves that fit.  Black and red color scheme.  Midway through there's a build in tension and pacing as the flag work gets more frentic. They're very mixed equipment in their approach sometimes in sections and other times in clusters that mix.  They're holding something in their mouths while doing this.  Or at least some of them are.  Like green apples.  They've spat them out now.  and there's apples all over the place!   It's a dark Snow White eats the apple theme!  Dramatic ending but it seems like it should have built to something more dramatic.

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AMP Winter Guard

A floor that look like a parquet floor with a simple metal archway.   Godfather theme opens with some marionette like dancing that merges into a flag solo and more traditional waltzing.  Sabres come out for a bit as the theme ends and a gunshot rings. Rifles enter! Lots of thick tension in the show, it's delicious.  (ooh a rifle drop..drat). The storytelling is pretty good here as you've got the guys on rifles doing crazy stuff and the gals coming in dancing and they pair and separate in various ways.  A...the kiss of betrayal followed by another shot.  Very moody show.  

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