Jak Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 I think it is insane that a guard can dance 1/4 of their entire show, and not touch a piece of equipment in the process. At what point do you become a dance team instead of a colorguard? They have minimum equipment time to ensure that doesn't happen. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's 3.5 minutes. Also, I know this is a personal opinion, but I would hate to see dance phased out. One of my favorite groups to watch this year was Kennesaw Mountain because they moved so beautifully. The other problem is that I don't think you can really separate dance and equipment anymore. You could certainly be successful without having any strictly dance parts in the show. But if you don't have body layered with your equipment work, you would be crucified. And groups with no dance training will not have a good understanding of line, posture, centering, presence, deportment, how to move across the floor, etc. Without these skills, your equipment will be a mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpsanchez Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 (edited) Without these skills, your equipment will be a mess. Skills yes. You don't need a strict dance regimen to teach a group of kids to move well. *EDIT* Oh! Color guard got along fine for decades before dance became an emphasis. Edited December 7, 2006 by mpsanchez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musical_Spinner Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 I guess some of the best movers in WGI (Kennesaw Mountain, Oracle, Center Grove, etc) do what I call "color guard dance." It's sort of a bastardized combination of classical, modern, lyrical, and strictly color guard stuff. I agree. I think the two guards that come closest to any typical style of dance jazz/ballet are Pride and Oracle.....Pride does afterall have a professional ballerina as their movement teacher... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHSmirage Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 Skills yes. You don't need a strict dance regimen to teach a group of kids to move well.*EDIT* Oh! Color guard got along fine for decades before dance became an emphasis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zackiedude Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 Skills yes. You don't need a strict dance regimen to teach a group of kids to move well.*EDIT* Oh! Color guard got along fine for decades before dance became an emphasis. As someone who's movement-########, I find strict dance regimen's really help me out. I look better spinning because of it. And it's not fair to compare old color guard days to modern days. There was no dance training because everyone looked very military-like. And though that's cool as hell (I always say I should have spun in the 80s!), it doesn't reflect the emotion of the music, what I believe to be one of modern color guard's strongest suits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jak Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 Skills yes. You don't need a strict dance regimen to teach a group of kids to move well.*EDIT* Oh! Color guard got along fine for decades before dance became an emphasis. You're right, it did. That was before my time, though. And I would be bored stiff if we returned to that. However, I know a lot of people share your opinion that we emphasize dance too much now. Also, you may be right that you don't need a dance regimen to teach kids to move well, but I don't know how to do it. What would you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnavis Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 Way back when... ...State Street did mostly jazz type dance, but there were a couple of years when we did a dance to Push, Push in the Bush...really really not family freindly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stick Stack Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 (edited) I'm saying it's bastardized because it's not a pure implementation of any one technique. We've taken elements of ballet, modern, jazz, lyrical, etc., and put them together to form our own style. That's not a negative thing. I believe it's been a necessary course of action to hide the extreme lack of training necessary to properly perform any particular style. (Lack of training on both students AND teachers who have only done "colorguard dance") Also, I believe that accounts for the lack of variety. Performers throughout their course of training will get extremely proficient in certain dance skills, and have terrible habits when it comes to others, because of the lack of a solid foundation in basic dance technique. Instructors tend to stick with what's cleanable. That's why you see a million tour jettes, assembles, and switch leaps and jumps landing in the splits. It's the colorguard dance equivalent of a high toss. Edited December 8, 2006 by Stick Stack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jak Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 (edited) I believe it's been a necessary course of action to hide the extreme lack of training necessary to properly perform any particular style. (Lack of training on both students AND teachers who have only done "colorguard dance")Also, I believe that accounts for the lack of variety. Performers throughout their course of training will get extremely proficient in certain dance skills, and have terrible habits when it comes to others, because of the lack of a solid foundation in basic dance technique. Instructors tend to stick with what's cleanable. That's why you see a million tour jettes, assembles, and switch leaps and jumps landing in the splits. It's the colorguard dance equivalent of a high toss. I think you're probably right. However, you have to be practical here. It takes years of constant study to develop real ballet technique. Students have to start at a very young age and spend years mastering the technique and doing the reshaping of the body that is necessary for ballet. This is out of the realm of possibility of any color guard program. Unless you are blessed with performers that come to you with an extensive dance background, you have to make it work. Edited December 8, 2006 by Jak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musical_Spinner Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 So the million dollar question that has already been asked is "How do you make movement work if you don't use typical styles of dance?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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