Marching/moving in time vs. "scampering"

[denverjohn]

What are your opinions, visceral reactions, emotional satisfaction, etc. regarding the increasing percentage of "drill", "movement" that occurs "out of sync" or "out of tempo" when transitioning from form to form. First we had "marching". Then we had "jazz running". However, now we have increasing show segments where the legs move at different rates of speed as performers move both "in" forms and in scatter drill. I find the visual to be less than satisfying and my eyes and mind spend that time seeking out the next "in tempo" or static uniform pattern.  Your opinions? Most of this occurs during percussion features of course because brass playing "in time" requires either feet in time or "hands" in time.

[scheherazadesghost]

I'm your Huckleberry....

I depends on whether designers use it intentionally for effect or as a throwaway decision to get the corps from here to there.

It also depends on how the performers present it and whether they can back it up with solid marching technique. Contrast can be so powerful in this case. I personally love seeing corps perform more extensive movement vocabularies than when I marched. Specifically, I love it because it's healthier for all bodies to experience a variety of contrasting movements. Tension and injury arise from repetitive actions; different, or even recuperative counter-movements help prevent injuries.

Are the performers jazz running, holding their instruments at attention, while staring straight forward? If so, I'm bored. Are they jazz running and somehow connecting their upper body and performance focus to the visual impact at hand? Yummy...

Edited July 24, 2022 by scheherazadesghost

[Weaklefthand4ever]

38 minutes ago, scheherazadesghost said:

I'm your Huckleberry....

I depends on whether designers use it intentionally for effect or as a throwaway decision to get the corps from here to there.

It also depends on how the performers present it and whether they can back it up with solid marching technique. Contrast can be so powerful in this case. I personally love seeing corps perform more extensive movement vocabularies than when I marched. Specifically, I love it because it's healthier for all bodies to experience a variety of contrasting movements. Tension and injury arise from repetitive actions; different, or even recuperative counter-movements help prevent injuries.

Are the performers jazz running, holding their instruments at attention, while staring straight forward? If so, I'm bored. Are they jazz running and somehow connecting their upper body and performance focus on the visual impact at hand? Yummy...

Excellent take on it. I think also that it really depends on if those "out of sync" movements lead to moments of impact musically or visually. Random floating blobs around the field do nothing for me. There are also some corps who create some really special moments by utilizing what I call "dead air" to create those moments. Silence builds anticipation and when accompanied by interesting drill (in or out of sync) and some great guard work....just...wow. 

[scheherazadesghost]

Just now, Weaklefthand4ever said:

Excellent take on it. I think also that it really depends on if those "out of sync" movements lead to moments of impact musically or visually. Random floating blobs around the field do nothing for me. There are also some corps who create some really special moments by utilizing what I call "dead air" to create those moments.

Indeed, and I don't want to knock scampering when used well. As a method for getting around... it's a simple fact that people running at their own pace will get to a place faster than if you have to sync them up. If that's what you're going for, scampering's how to get it done.

Just now, Weaklefthand4ever said:

Silence builds anticipation and when accompanied by interesting drill (in or out of sync) and some great guard work....just...wow. 

Yes, yes. Again, it's about knowing what it's good for and using it masterfully. Not "floating blobbing" it like you said.

[Poppycock]

Designers use what they know. They have their limitations too.

Traditional drill maneuvers are not taught for the most part because designers don’t have the skill sets to teach it, members don’t understand close order drill or the terminology, and it requires extensive time to clean and execute to have a desired effect.

Fluttering, jazz running, scatter moves, scampering, follow the leader, ring around the Rosie types of designs, striking poses, emoting, small pods, and parade blocks are what students are most familiar with from marching band and most if not all are incorporated in current productions. 

Regardless of what is preferable environmental demand, achievement and performance will still remain the criteria for evaluation. Details matter either way. 

Edited July 24, 2022 by Poppycock

[scheherazadesghost]

1 hour ago, Poppycock said:

Traditional drill maneuvers are not taught for the most part because designers don’t have the skill sets to teach it, members don’t understand close order drill or the terminology, and it requires extensive time to clean and execute to have a desired effect.

Love that you point this out.

I think this skillset may have been lost more fully while I was away in the last many years. If I were to BITD at all, it would be to say that I'm grateful I got to march Myron's drill. I certainly wasn't doing what the horn and drumlines were doing, but I was there to get the downwind effects and they're powerful.

That said, even Star staff had trouble cleaning Myron's drill every year I marched. Point taken. And his was far from the toughest stuff in history.... not by a long shot!

Edited July 24, 2022 by scheherazadesghost
I'm bad at math...

[NakedEye]

As with anything that was introduced by the top groups/creative staffs and considered new and unusual at the time, eventually it trickles down and everyone feels like they need to include something similar, even if they aren't clear on why it was done in the first place or how to do it effectively. I feel like the first time I really noticed the random running was (I think) in BD 2008, as part of the Absurdity theme. It made sense with that, created impact, and was something different.

They still do it today, but use it with surgical precision. An example is the big rotating line of brass, which evolves into a cross as it turns, then a denser shape, and as the music accelerates, breaks apart into flat-out running, still in the spiral form. It works really, really well in this instance. The spiral is their symbol of the show and is used to illustrate the spiraling timeline of the color blue through history. I see this section as a visualization of how the new color of blue was originally tightly controlled for use in iconography and religious imagery, then adopted more broadly, and eventually rapidly spread into all areas of modern art and culture. (but that's just my take)

So BD (continues) to use it well, but as you go down the list you see it in there for no obvious reason. This does happen with everything, though (see example: PROPS).

[lowend]

9 minutes ago, NakedEye said:

As with anything that was introduced by the top groups/creative staffs and considered new and unusual at the time, eventually it trickles down and everyone feels like they need to include something similar..... This does happen with everything, though (see example: PROPS).

THIS!  There are things that are cool when first introduced, but become compulsory elements, formulas, or caricatures of the activity.  The off the line, production, ballad, drum feature, and closer formula has been replaced with pre-show emoting, introductory narration, pit/battery intro, first hit (two minutes in), etc.

[scheherazadesghost]

3 minutes ago, lowend said:

pre-show emoting

[greg_orangecounty]

I don't care for it.  It's too band-ish, but it's 2022 sooo....