Do you dot shop?

[Krista]

For us it was always form first, dot second. We used dots as a guideline to build the form, but memorized the shape as the focus going from set to set. Even when we stopped, we'd dress the form, then check the dots. Even when I get the chance to teach drill today, it is form form form. Dots are worthless if the shape sucks...

I agree with this.

In fact, when I teach kids if they say "but I'm on my dot" and then point to a marker (they have roofing nail things they drive in the ground) I'll simply bend down, pick up the thing, chuck it over my shoulder and tell them that he FORM and what's best for what's happening at the time is the most important thing.

I think the real problem lies in when you have most people who know they're not in their exact spot, but for the good of the group will go w/the form. But then you have those few people who scream 'but I'MMMMMMMMMMMM right." well, I dont' care. lol You're wrong b/c you're out of form period...and that's how a judge would see it too.

:)

[liebot]

I think the real problem lies in when you have most people who know they're not in their exact spot, but for the good of the group will go w/the form. But then you have those few people who scream 'but I'MMMMMMMMMMMM right." well, I dont' care. lol You're wrong b/c you're out of form period...and that's how a judge would see it too.

Hey Borges, listen up, Krista has some good advice for you. What the #### is the point of being on your dot if you are completely out of the form? Last time I checked, the judge doesn't have the drill in front of him... If he sees a whole set that is correct and one person is out of the form (that's you Borges) I'm pretty sure he's going to say that it's you that's out of the form, not everyone else. I'm all for knowing your dots (and I assure you that I knew all of my dots in 04 and 05) but what the #### is the point of sticking to your dots when you're 3 steps out of the form? The only thing you're doing is making yourself look like an ########. There is absolutely no point in going for your dot during a show unless everyone else in your corps is going for their dots and they know them perfectly. The only reason why you would "dot-shop" (I call it dot-whoring) is if your whole corps is doing the same thing. Otherwise dot-whoring is useless, and just makes you look like a fool.

[Krista]

obviously, I completely agree.

the look on the kids faces when I yank set markers out of the grass and throw them is PRICELESS though.

hahahahahah

[liebot]

Dots are worthless if the shape sucks...

Yeah, Borges, you're pretty much wrong. You say "the form behind you looked better than the one in front of you." If you're blaming everyone else in the corps for not "dot-shopping" then the people behind you are guiding to form just as much as the people in front of you are... Which means that the form looking good behind you has nothing to do with people dot-whoring. It means that the people behind you are better at guiding than the people in front of you. So that means if you guided to form instead of your ####### dot then the whole form would look right, instead of just your half of the form... So you're ####### the corps over either way. Way to go, #########.

Edited May 18, 2006 by TSRTS13

[Krista]

maybe it's b/c it's late and I'm tired.... but that's HYSTERICAL to read right now.

:spit: :lolhit: X's a lot. :D

[erictuba16]

Yeah, Borges, you're pretty much wrong. You say "the form behind you looked better than the one in front of you." If you're blaming everyone else in the corps for not "dot-shopping" then the people behind you are guiding to form just as much as the people in front of you are... Which means that the form looking good behind you has nothing to do with people dot-whoring. It means that the people behind you are better at guiding than the people in front of you. So that means if you guided to form instead of your ####### dot then the whole form would look right, instead of just your half of the form... So you're ####### the corps over either way. Way to go, #########.

nicely said brian..

btw arent you gonna be infront of the form as usual*???

go read what tommy said.

nuf said on that subject..

plus dot shopping keeps things constant, i hate seeing the form warp over the course of a few reps... makes a big difference in step size when your in the back of the form.

Edited May 18, 2006 by erictuba16

[DClifer06]

nicely said brian..

btw arent you gonna be infront of the form as usual*???

go read what tommy said.

nuf said on that subject..

plus dot shopping keeps things constant, i hate seeing the form warp over the course of a few reps... makes a big difference in step size when your in the back of the form.

This is what Tommy said:

“At the beginning of the season when learning drill, I think it is important to go for the dot, but into the season it is more important to dress the form......”

If I remember correctly we were in Attleboro during finials weeks and we were working on the last few sets. You remember where the first and second Baris did that jazz run before the 4 and 4 box. The form was okay up until you, because you insisted to go to your dot during FINIALS WEEK. So the spacing was way off and/or the form was warped.

“The only time you dot shop is when you are a primary dress point. The sets where you set the form, you need to be on your dot or the form gets out of whack......”

If I remember correctly you were always in the middle of the form. The only people that set anything for the most part were the first, Jaime and I. And at ECJ we focused more on a consistent step size yard line relationships and then the dot. The reason for that was the FORM had to look good.

“Drum Corps is a GROUP activity. If one person goes to their dot and not the form then even if they are right, they look wrong......”

Nuf said bye!

"Yes, if everyone went to their dot every time then you don’t need to dress the form but...when you have over a 100 people and over 60-75 sets at some point in some place or time someone will make a mistake......"

If you are in a Corps that dot hunts then dot hunt but if you’re not then don’t. BD guides to form and always form, which is what is most important to them. If you looked at BD’s drill and then there finials performance things are off but you could never tell (and yes I no this first hand). Cavies dot hunt and they have over 150 sets and sub sets and that is what they do but ####### EH even Cavies go to form by finials.

“unless of course you marched with Dartmouth High School...ahem...Borges....”

I’m not even going to touch that one with a ten-foot poll.

[liebot]

Bottom line, no one in the stands cares if you're on your dot. They only care if the form looks right. And if it's at finals and you're still dot hunting and not paying attention to form, chances are you're going to be wrong.

[dcf06]

I admit I am a dot hunter only when I’m trying to prove something, There was even time where Eric and I actually did shop for our dot to show them how far off some thing was form wise that is.

Here is a question what do you do if someone from your section is messing up the what the form is suppose to be, how do you correct it with out blowing up at them? That’s what I struggled with all last summer. Everyday something changed, and a lot of simple moves were never right. The frustrating thing was when I asked to have someone look at it we wouldn’t get back to it for another day or two, so it would never get fixed.

Edited May 18, 2006 by dcf06

[Krista]

the thing is, and it's been said.... you can't be wrong in a show just to prove a point.

If any of the kids I teach were to ever say "I was on my dot" when I confronted them about a mess up of a form in a show, I'd be so angry and they know it.

You can politely ask your neighbors in the form to check their dots (if you're in a position in your band/corps that you can do that) but otherwise, unless you're having problems fitting into the form b/c of step size issues or something, then just keep your mouth closed. :)

The only other option, if you can't say something to your corpsmates, and it's a problem physically for you is to tell one of your tech who work with you during drill and let them handle it.