Color Guard: Tips for Turning - Learning the Turn

After building strength, here are my top seven tips for learning a pirouette itself.

  Learning the Turn  

1. Practice by going onto releve and posse, without turning first. Prep count 8, up on count 1 in posse, hold for count 2, down on count 3. If you achieve that with a solid balance, hold counts 2 and 3, and come down on count 4. If you can balance in posse on releve, you'll be able to turn better.

2. Balance by engaging your entire standing leg all the way up into your hip/butt muscles and engage your core. If there is a weak or non-engaged muscle in the chain or alignment, it will be the weak link that makes your balance not as rock solid.

3. Do not twist your back. Shoulders and hips should stay in line. And make sure your shoulders and hips are both parallel to the ground both when you start, and during the turn. If not, it will cause you to go off center.

4. Launch your turn from a balanced, centered pile. Feel grounded before the turn and feel the energy that you need to push off the ground into the turn.

5. Withdrawl your working leg quickly and get it into posse right away. It will make the turn look cleaner.

6. Make sure your working leg is turned out and the toe is at the knee. Depending on the technique or school of thinking (or in guard, the choreography!), you could have your toe on the side, the front or the back. NEVER put your arch on your leg. Ick!

7. Practice the turns slowly! If you can turn a pirouette slowly, you can do them controlled quickly. You'll also be able to know which way you're leaning if you fall off balance and should be able to analyze your standing and working legs better.

Do you have any other tips for pirouettes?

Color Guard: Tips for Turning - Building Strength

At Stonewall Independent auditions, I taught pirouette turns and thought I'd share some of the tips we used to help everyone learn how to do them properly. In this blog I'll cover how to build muscle strength to prepare you for turns such as pirouettes. In a future blog, I'll cover some tips on the turns themselves.

  Strengthen Your Muscles  

1. Build Ankle Strength: Your ankle strength is key to avoiding that wobbly-ankle look when you releve or turn.

One exercise it to use a bar or the back of a chair, and standing up very straight on one leg (turned out), coupe the free leg. Slowly go into releve and back down 10 times. Then switch legs. Your ankles should feel tired. If not, try doing 15 or 20 in a row. Be sure you are maintaining control and engaging your core. You also need to ensure proper alignment to bring your weight over the middle of the ball of your foot - don't roll out or in or you'll actually start straining the tendons and ligaments around your ankle.

A second option is to scrunch a towel in your foot. Stand up, and put a towel on the ground. With your bare feet, grab the towel with your toes and lift it off the ground. Control the release back to the ground. Repeat 10 times, and then switch sides.

2. Build Calf Strength: When I was at Crown, I believe it was in 2000, the horn line had a marching exercise to build calf strength. They would backwards march a yard line (10 yards) in 8 counts and then stay on that yard line 8 counts, up in releve, while lifting one foot at time (so their body stayed at the same height but their ankle would bend so one foot would come off the floor, then they'd switch feet). As I explain this, I think I need to make a video!

Business News: LinkedIn Launches University Rankings

I always love seeing positive news about my alma mater!! Today, Oct 1, 2014, LinkedIn launched University Rankings, and Georgetown University made the list for four of the 8 careers ranked, with two of those in the top 3 schools: Investment Bankers (1st) and Financial Professionals (3rd)!! Rounding out the list were Marketing (6th) and Media (15th), which is all great news for the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown.

Per LinkedIn's website, this ranking is based on career outcomes. They state: "From university to career, see which schools are launching graduates into desirable jobs." For more information, you can check out the method for rankings here.

Color Guard: 7 Dance Terms Explained (and demonstrated)

UPDATE 10/1/2014: Clarified what I mean by using tendu when you walk, and also clarified the difference between the classical ballet tour en l'air and the way we use the term in color guard (which is technically a chasse en tournant).

In color guard, we don't usually learn what the terms that we use mean, or even how to spell them! Here are a few basic terms we use all the time but may not know the meaning or explanation.

  Chassé (shah-say)  

Definition: to chase

Description: The concept is that one leg is chasing the other. The thighs should pull tight together, in fact the entirety of both legs should pull together. But guess what, you don't have to leave the ground for it to be called a chassé. See the "how to" video below to see what I mean.

How To: Here is a link to a ballerina demonstrating the chassé in the air, and here is another link with more of a "how to" video for chassé on the floor, and lastly a "how to" video for chassé in the air.

http://northlandschoolofdance.com/2012/11/c-is-for-chasse-dance-terminology-a-z/

  Passé (pah-say)  

Definition: to pass

Description: Passé is a movement in ballet in which the working leg passes the supporting leg, sliding close to the knee. Passé is sometimes confused with the ballet position retiré in which the toe of the working leg touches the knee of the supporting leg. However, in color guard, we use passé to mean retiré, so don't stress about which to call it.

How To: Check out this video to see how you can do a passé correctly

http://www.showcasedanceproductions.com/aboutus.htm

  Pilé (plee-ay)  

Definition: to fold or to bend

Description: This is an exercise to render the joints and muscles soft and pliable and the tendons flexible and elastic, and to develop a sense of balance.

How To: This is a link for a grand plié in first position (notice how her heels go to the ground as soon as they can as she rises), and a basic first position demi plié.

http://dicasdeballet.tumblr.com/post/32241865384/o-que-e-plie-en-dehor-e-passe

  Relevé (rehl-leh-vay)  

Definition: to rise or raised

Description: In a relevé, you rise to the demi-pointe or to the ball of your foot

How To: Here is a great, detailed explanation of relevé

http://www.evolutiondanceleander.com/not-about-dance-workshop/2014/3/15/elevate-ballet-intensive

  Sauté (soh-tay)  

Definition: to jump

Description: Typically, we think of a sauté as jumping with off one foot, landing on the same foot, with our free leg straight behind us. And yes, that is a sauté. However, any jump you do is really a sauté! Try varying the types of jumps by putting the free leg into coupe or pase

Factoid: Did you know it's the same word for when you sauté something in a frying pan? The food "jumps!" 

How To: Here is a sauté in first position (two feet), and here the last jump she does is a sauté as well

http://entertainmentguide.local.com/types-dance-leaps-10940.html

  Tendu (tahn-deu)  

Definition: tense, strained or tight (this is the literal french translation)

Description: This is something we do day-in-day-out in color guard. You can do an exercise with tendu's. When I teach jazz walks, I explain that you go through first position, and straightening/lengthening to a tendu before stepping. Another option for jazz walks goes through coupe which would not include a tendu.

How To: Here is Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg demonstrating a tendu

http://www.nanou.org/sports/ballet/leia/Standard%20positions%20gallery/pages/tendu-front.htm

  Tour en l'air (toor ahn lehr)  

Definition: A turn in the air

Description: In traditional classical ballet, the tor en l'air is a jump turn that men (typically) do where they start in fifth position, jump straight up in the air and turn 1 or more times, landing back in fifth position. In color guard, however, we sometimes use this term to mean a chassé turn, in which you essentially do a chassé while doing one full rotation, straight up in the air. Just like with a non-turning chassé, the thighs should pull tight together. Our use of this term in color guard is not technically correct, and yet, we still call it a tour en l'air or an "air tour." Just know we are using the term the way color guard means it, and not classical ballet. Technically, in ballet this would be called a chassé en tournant (sha-SAY ahn toor-NAHN) (thanks to the commenter who posted!)

How To: Seems I can't find a good video of a chassé en tournant! Maybe I'll just have to make one. Below is a graphical explanation of the classical ballet use of tour en l'air.

http://theclassicballet.blogspot.com/2010/12/tour-en-lair.html
Note: this is the true classical ballet version that goes straight up and down, and often has 2 or more rotations before landing. It is often a jump for the male dancers.

What other steps would you like to learn more about? I am thinking of a post all about fun unique jumps (e.g., the firebird, a calypso). What else would you like to see?





References:
1. http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/index.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_ballet
3. http://www.step-by-step-dance.com/ballettermspronunciationdefinitions.html
4. http://dance.about.com/od/ballet
5. http://ballethub.com/ballet-term/chasse-en-tournant/

Color Guard: How Can I Learn Faster?

Now that you've aced your auditions for winter guard, or soon will, your season starts with a lot of technique and new choreography. That means, after getting to that comfortable auto-pilot phase of performing at the end of last season, you now have to start learning to learn again.

Some people learn quicker than others and I wanted to give a few tips to those who may find themselves wanting to be more efficient learners.

  1. Think Big Picture First  

Everyone knows that one person on your team that always asks super detailed questions after the choreography teaches the first 8 counts. Don't be that girl or guy! You need to look at the big picture first before you start getting into the details.

First - Watch the general movements of the flag or weapon. For example, is it going up and over to the right or to the left, or is it making a cone up or a cone forward.

Second - Look at the hand positioning of each movement (don't worry about counts yet!)

Third - Look at the body underneath. This is a pet peeve of mine, considering I'm the movement instructor for any guard I work with! What do the feet do? Do they go into passé? Are you up on relevé? Does your leg rond de jambe around? What about your free hands?

Keep in mind, you don't need to get all the big picture components perfectly, but you do need to know what they are!

  2. Count or Talk as You Spin  

Most color guards I teach either count through most of their sections or talk through them (up, down, around, over the mountain, wiggle wiggle, whatever works!). It's usually something we make them do when they're not getting the choreography or spinning together, but I recommend that you use the technique when you're first learning the work. If you feel weird talking out loud, try doing it silently. If you start talking yourself through the choreography, you'll actually be using a larger portion of your brain and connecting more neurons so that you can start to put it into your long term memory rather than remember it for 2 seconds and then struggle to get through it once the instructor isn't in front of you anymore.

  3. Divide into Chunks  

Sometimes the instructors do this for you as they teach, but if not, make sure you do it for yourself. Divide the work into manageable, logical sections or "chunks." It may be every 16 counts makes sense, but maybe 8 counts is more manageable for you. Then practice each chunk separately. I like to do one chunk a few times, and then move on to the next chunk. Then I connect the two chunks together. Every time I do a chunk, I first think about what comes before it, and then as I finish the chunk, I think about what comes next. That will help your brain start to put the pieces together because your brain needs to understand the work before your muscles will start getting it right (for most people anyway.

  4. Don't Stop, But Go Slow  

After you've learned each of the chunks, try this one! One technique I found particularly useful when I was at Carolina Crown was to force myself not to stop as I went through the work. I had a habit of getting to a part and making a mistake, pausing, and then resuming the work. Or I would do a chunk, my brain would freeze, and then I'd do the next chunk. I realized I was trying to take the work up to the right tempo. I tried slowing myself down and forcing myself to do every count in time, to that slower tempo. I found that I could get my brain to go through the work and not let me stop spinning. Eventually then I could pick up the tempo little by little and was back up to speed, but without pausing!


Do you have a technique for learning faster that works for you?

Color Guard: The Audition Mindset

It's the time of year when winter guard auditions start occurring, and it's a great time to really grow as a performer. I've attended auditions for the specific purpose of getting better, because it's a time when instructors can really push you and try out new ideas without worrying about a specific show yet.

Last year, Byron Valentine (of Zydeco and Fred J. Miller fame) posted his thoughts about what you should think about going into auditions, and this year I wanted to put my thoughts on paper (virtually...so to speak!).

With Stonewall Independent auditions only a week away (September 21!), here are my top five tips to get yourself in the right mindset for any audition.

These are on top of the basics like (a) bring your own equipment in case it's needed, (b) wear form-fitting dark clothes (unless told otherwise, (c) have your hair neatly pulled back so you don't mess with it at all, (d) stay hydrated....etc.

  1. Fake it Till You Make it  

As I posted before, Stonewall's number one rule is "Fake it Till You Make it." Oftentimes, the instructor is looking for you to perform well, and just make things work. They know that you'll have a very short amount of time to figure out the choreography and they're not looking for perfection. They're looking for someone to perform it no matter how well (or how little) they know the choreography. To help yourself LEARN how to perform, check out my blog here.

  2. Crave Corrections  

My favorite auditioners are those who come to us and ask "what else can I fix?" or "how can I do xyz move?" Better yet, we love it when auditioners use each other to figure out what they are doing wrong! It warms my heart when someone goes up to a vet and asks them to watch them do the work and then ASK for the feedback. If you go into the conversation requesting the feedback, your more willing to hear what someone has to say. However, if you get a correction without asking for it, just say "okay" or "thank you" (love the Broad Run HS girls that say thank you!). Then, try your darndest to figure out how to fix it! Just like on the judges sheets, recovery is important. If you can take that correction and do something with it, the staff will notice you. More importantly, they will be excited to work with you throughout the season.

  3. Embrace a Beginners Mindset  

"In a beginners mind, there are many possibilities. In an expert's mind, there are few." ~Shunryu Suzuki

When you enter the audition space, remind yourself of this quote. Anything is possible if you recognize that within this audition, you are a beginner. That's not a bad thing. You just don't know exactly what it is the instructors will give you in terms of choreography. You may not know the instructors or veterans yet. Even the veterans are entering a space where they are learning. They won't be given choreography they've seen before, just like the rookies! If you embrace that fact, it will both allow you to have confidence and the openness to absorb everything you can.

  4. Don't be Married to "Your" Technique  

Students who audition for a new guard sometimes don't realize that every instructor or team has their own version of technique on everything. If you take the opportunity to be in a beginner's mindset, you will also open yourself to new technique as well. This new guard may toss differently. They may hold their arms in second differently (like we do...we use Horton modern technique for this arm position, which isn't typical in color guard). They may do a lot of body wraps (again...we do this!) and you may not be used to that. Even as a vet, you can use the opportunity to FIX your technique. Assume there may be a bad habit that you have. Use the auditions to fix those technique habits because it's a time to learn, not to be perfect.

  5. Try Something New  

As I've mentioned, auditions are a time for instructors to try out some new things. At Stonewall Independent, we often try some crazy tosses, just to see what happens. It's important for those auditioning to try something new even if it's scary or different. That doesn't just apply to a single piece of choreography, but maybe there's a weapons audition and you've never spun weapon. If you're interested, tell the instructor on the side that you haven't spun before but you'd really like to give it a shot. That way they know you're knew at this AND you get a chance to try something fun and different! Maybe you don't make the weapon line, but the instructors will see that you're willing to try new things. Plus, there's value in spinning a different piece of equipment and learning bits and pieces that you can take and apply elsewhere. For example, in high school I learned how to catch solid on rifle, and that improved my solid catching on flag!


What other recommendations or thoughts do you have for those who are auditioning this month?

Recipe: Zucchini-Onion-Pepper Fritatta

I was at the Farmer's Market two weeks ago on a Thursday, thinking, "what can I cook for dinner tonight that won't cost an arm and a leg?" We all know that while Farmer's Markets are amazing, and there can be some great deals, meat is not exactly cheap when you purchase it there (a whole chicken is $4 a pound!). I realized I had eggs at home and could try my hand at making a fritatta!

A fritatta is an Italian egg-based dish, similar to an omelette but cooked in the oven, and similar to a quiche but with less cream and no crust. It's an incredibly flexible dish and you can add any combination of veggies you have on hand! Here's the recipe I used (it's a combo of a few recipes I found online).

Zucchini-Onion-Pepper Fritatta
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs oil
• 1 Tbs buttler
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 zucchini, sliced or julienned
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 teas salt
• 1/2 teas dried basil
• 1/4 teas dried thyme
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup cream or half-and-half
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 5-6 leaves of fresh basil, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In an oven proof skillet, heat the oil and butter. Add in the sliced onions, sprinkle with 1/2 the salt, and cook until translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add in the zucchini and pepper, and continue to cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat with the remaining salt, the basil and thyme.
4. While the veggies cook, in a bowl, crack the eggs, add in the cream, and beat everything together.
5. Once the veggies are cooked, take it off the heat and add 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, stirring to coat. Flatten out the veggies into an even layer.
6. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies (don't stir), and put into the oven for 13-15 minutes, until the eggs are set. You can jiggle the pan to check (use an oven mitt).
7. Turn on the broiler and cook for 1-2 minutes until the top begins to puff and turn brown (note, it doesn't ALWAYS puff). Keep a close eye on it!
8. After it's browned a bit, take it out and pour the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan along with the fresh basil.

Serving Suggestion: Serve a wedge of the fritatta along with a salad that has a vinaigrette dressing. The dressing will help cut the richness of the fritatta.

Variations:

• Spinach and Mushroom
• Tomato and Onion
• Swap out the cheese for Gouda or Goat Cheese

If you like this recipe, check out some other's on my blog:

• Sunday Gravy
• Healthy Homemade "Ice Cream" (it's really bananas)
• "Leftover" Pasta, Carbonara Style
• Oyster Cracker Bar Snacks
• Roasted Bell Peppers

Couponing: Ways to Earn Gift Cards

Since back to school just happened, and that means fall, which means soon to come are the holidays, I thought everyone could use some insight to how I've found ways to earn gift cards to Amazon and Starbucks with little to no effort.

But first, if you're going to coupon, make sure you set up an email address specifically for signing up for random stuff you're not really interested in getting tons of mail from. My couponing email address is similar to my regular one, but has ".shop" after it (just as an idea for you!).

  1. Swagbucks  

For the past few years, I've earned Amazon gift cards through Swagbucks. Since 2011, I have earned 17 $5 gift cards....that's $85 I didn't otherwise have! They have other rewards options, but I find Amazon to be the best value. I don't participate in everything on the site (because some of it isn't worth my signing up for various things like insurance!). The activities I do participate in to earn the points towards rewards - and at 450 points I earn a $5 gift card! Some examples include:

• Daily Poll
• NOSO (no obligation special offers)
• Videos
• Games (free ones only!)
• Brand Activities
• Surveys
• Swagcodes (find them on http://sc-s.com)
• Coupon printing (I even print them for friends!)

  2. Pampers Rewards  

I'm the mom of a 7.5 year old little girl who I am in love with! But man, does she go through a lot of diapers. From day 1 we've used Pampers (except for two Huggies diapers - one broke and one leaked; and a box of Honest Company diapers which were great but too expensive). About 2 months in, we realized there were little codes on every Pampers product that could be saved on the Pampers Rewards site! So far I've earned a $5 Starbucks Gift Card, and since we have a Nespresso machine at home, I've decided I won't reload my Starbucks card myself and only use free gift cards I earn. That said, the Starbucks card isn't always available. Right now they have a $10 card to Barnes & Noble and a lot of options for Shutterfly products (which is great for holiday gifts to relatives when you have a child in diapers).


  3. Biore  

On Facebook, Biore has an app to submit codes from their products to earn points. In addition, you can answer trivia questions and make daily pledges to earn even more! For 2800 points you can earn a $5 Starbucks or Amazon gift card.


  4. RecycleBank  

RecycleBank is a great site to learn about environmental impacts of consumer goods, along with ways to save money, energy, and water. Every day you can pledge to do one thing that earns you 5 points. Then every month they have different topics to learn about (e.g., how to save energy in your house) or quizzes to answer (e.g., testing your knowledge of how much trash the U.S. makes each year). For 1500 points you can earn a $5 gift card to Starbucks or Target.


Do you have any other ways that you earn gift cards or free items?

Couponing: Liquidation Sales

The Latham Hotel and Citronelle in Georgetown are going out of business. It's sad really, because Citronelle was one of THE restaurants in the city for quite some time with executive chef, Michel Richard. I wish I would have gone back in the day when I worked in Georgetown...though that's when I probably wasn't making enough to afford a fancy lunch or dinner like that!

My dad found out that the hotel and restaurant were liquidating all the furnishings so we decided we would check it out. It may have been the last day and there was still tons of stuff left!!!

http://www.hclsales.com/

We got:

- a club chair

- 3 silver plated sugar bowls ( we'll use for nuts)

- 1 luggage rack

Total = $50

Lesson learned: track hotel and restaurant liquidation sites!

Color Guard: How a Being a Mom is like Being in Drum Corps

In the summer's of 1999 and 2000 (my age out), I was a proud member of the Carolina Crown Drum & Bugle Corps Color Guard. There were many details that were less than fun, and yet I never wanted to go home, and I marched two seasons (so clearly I liked it!).

Flash forward 14 years (eeeek!)....and now I am married and have a 7 month old daughter.

I was thinking about my time in drum corps, and realized "man, there are a lot of similarities to my life right now." As I went through a few band camp rehearsals, while simultaneously watching my daughter learn to crawl, I started taking note of specific similarities.

  Sleep:  

• You start to sleep in random places (like the couch, the nursery floor)
• You sleep whenever you can, like today, when I napped during her morning nap

  Eat:  

• You eat whatever's available, sometimes it's whatever's leftover or fast
• You have to stay hydrated (specifically if you're a mom who's nursing your little one)

  Schedule:  

• Your schedule is not your own, even though you planned to go to the grocery store at 10 AM, she may need a nap then unexpectedly
• You have sectionals (you and your little one), and ensemble (you, your little one, and your significant other), and each has their own purpose

  Injuries:  

• You're likely to have aches and pains

  Other Areas:  

• Repetition is the norm - what infant or toddler doesn't like doing the same thing over and over and over and over
• You have to think on your feet to answer questions or find a new way to solve an issue (dirty diaper during a road trip... too hard to stop and find a bathroom with a changing table...so you improvise!)
• You sing random songs (at least when I was in drum corps, we did..."we're here, because we're here, because we're here, because we're here....")
• You never want to mess up, but it's bound to happen

The most interesting similarity for me....I sing "You are My Sunshine" all the time!!!!!! Crown folks will understand!

What other similarities can you think of?

Color Guard: Food for Auditions or Long Rehearsals

Have you ever wondered what you should eat and drink before, during and after long rehearsals or auditions? Well here's the post for you!

  The week before (or the weeks between rehearsals)  

• Do not drastically change what you eat; it won't make much of a difference
• Do not drastically reduce portion size, or skip meals
• Stick to the same amount of food you normally eat

  The night before  

• Steer clear of anything that causes water retention, especially if you're required to wear all black form fitting clothing for an audition!! Minimize sodium intake, particularly by avoiding highly processed foods
• Stick to whole, natural foods like fresh fruits and veggies, legumes, salmon, brown rice
• Drink LOTS of water (see my water post here)
• Eat a hearty dinner since during rehearsals/auditions you'll have less of a chance to eat a larger meal

  The morning of  

• Don't skip breakfast!
• Some options include: Greek yogurt, banana, berries, granola, oatmeal egg and wheat toast
• Make sure you include a protein
• Bananas will help increase the potassium level and decrease cramping
• Drink at LEAST one glass of water before you leave the house
• Avoid refined sugar, since it will give you very short term energy

  Just before  

• Put something in your stomach about 1-2 hours before moving so you can keep up your strength
• Some options include: trail mix (no chocolate in it!), granola, banana with peanut butter
• If you eat a bar of some sort, get one with few ingredients and make sure there are no additives or preservatives; one I love is the Lara Bar
• Avoid anything with sugar alcohols because they tend to cause gas, cramping, and bloating. Ingredients to look for are sorbitol, xylitol, malitol and any other ingredient ending in "-ol" which are all sugar alcohols
• If you like cow's milk or soy milk, both give you protein and the energy you need but aren't hard to digest so they won't sit heavily in your stomach

  During  

• I like to pack a myriad of snacks so I always have something I can quickly grab
• Some of my standby options: fruit, granola bar, Lara Bar, applesauce pouches (no added sugar), fruit leather (no added sugar), raw natural almonds, dried cranberries, and raisins
• Stay hydrated throughout! Aim for about 8 ounces an hour, at a minimum

  Afterwards  

• If you ever talk to someone who works out a lot, the same rule applies: eat protein!
• Some options: edamame, hummus, nuts
• A friend mentioned her trainer told her to drink a glass of 2% chocolate milk! Make sure to get the good stuff though, so look for antibiotic free, hormone free milk
• Keep hydrating after your rehearsal or audition

  Avoid or Reduce  

• The sugar alcohols we already mentioned
• Caffeine: A small amount is okay, but only one cup of coffee will do the day of
• Alcohol (for those guard folks in independent groups and are older): it dehydrates you and will make you feel icky if you drink anything the night before
• Energy Drinks: most of them are full of non-natural ingredients, caffeine, and SUGAR

And to reiterate the point about water, you should drink half your weight in ounces every day, and more when it's hot outside or when you're highly active. For example, your baseline should be if you weigh 150 lbs, you would drink approximately 75 oz of water per day.

Reference:

• http://pointemagazine.com/issues/februarymarch-2012/your-best-body-audition-day-diet?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=justdance&utm_term=auditions&date=080614

Color Guard: Teaching Jazz Runs to Marching Band

This past week I had to teach the band members (winds and percussion) how to jazz run because one of their drill moves requires them to move quickly and cover a large distance. It got me thinking about how I was able, in only 30 minutes, to get them all looking infinitely better than when we started...and I wasn't the first one to try to teach them this season!

Here are the elements of what I taught:

• Start with the left foot back, so that you step with that foot first
• Take one step all together first, and explain that you have to take a very large step and push off the back leg
• Then explain that you have to stay in plie (which we explained meant "fold" because you're folding your legs...and oddly enough they already knew what a plie was!)
• Then we sprinkled the guard members throughout the band so they could watch around them
• I had them add in their arms at their attention position (similar to below, but our band actually touches finger tips together instead of the traditional fist, because it requires even more stability)

• We gave them the rule that when they get across the stage, they must turn around and watch the people behind them (i.e., the rule isn't that they don't talk, but no talking is a result of them watching)
• Then we repeated multiple times with each line leading off every 8 counts, so they get the hang of it; each time I gave them ONE thing to think about and told them to make ONE thing better (See my post about Rule #7: Make One Thing Better)
• Then, because there were just THAT many corrections I needed to give, I had one line go at a time, all the way across; I gave them corrections and then had the next line go
• We then showed the band director a few times and he was impressed by their improvement!

Have you taught jazz runs to your marching band before? How'd you go about doing it?

My Week in Reflection - Aug 10, 2014

As always, I'm excited for this week, but had such an amazing week last week that I wanted to reflect a bit. 

1. Dinner #1: A friend came over for dinner (take-out from our favorite delivery Thai, Chao Phra Ya) and washed her car here, because she lives downtown in DC where washing your own car is kind of a pain. 

2. Dinner #2: Two friends come over and we had "Sunday Gravy" which is the Italian American tradition...usually on Sundays (duh). I made a tomato sauce with italian sausage, meatballs, and some sort of meat with a bone (I used a marrow bone from the farmers market). Then I cooked it ALL DAY in a slow cooker. It was so delicious and had that umami flavor you can only get from cooking something like that with meat for so long. Plus, you throw everything in a pot (more or less) and you just let it cook. Not much work involved.

I served the pasta with the sauce (no meat) first for the Primi Piati (first course). Then the meat separately as a second course (or you are lazy like me and serve it like the picture illustrated below). The sauce freezes beautifully, but I bet if you freeze the meat it would completely fall apart because it's so tender. I vote eat the meat in the next couple days, and freeze the leftover sauce.

Here's a Cook's Illustrated page that explains more along with their picture:

http://recipes.cooksillustrated.com/stews-recipes/italian/pork/hearty-italian-meat-sauce-sunday-gravy-recipe/ 

3. Peach Picking: I went with a friend to Stribling Orchard to pick peaches and a few of their first available apples. So delicious! And my daughter seemed to enjoy it. The drive, not so much (but she's teething...can't really blame her!). 

4. Band Camp: It's that time of year again! I went in on Thursday to Stonewall to teach...not just the guard but the entire band! I taught the guard for about 1.5 hours and then taught the entire band how to jazz run! The whole thing was entertaining because I had my 7 month old daughter with me, and this is the first rehearsal she's been to now that she doesn't sleep 24/7 (I brought her when she was between 1 and 2 months old to teach Stonewall in the winter). I'll start working on a post about how to teach jazz runs to non-dancers!

5. Hershey Park: My dad retired in June and instead of a party, he took the family to Hershey for the weekend!! It was such great fun to stay at a lovely hotel, enjoy the amusement park, hang out at the hotel pool, and eat tons of food and, of course, chocolate. We actually enjoyed the park Friday night AND Saturday because you get to go in Friday night if you're staying at the hotel with a Saturday ticket AND you get to go in 1 hour early Saturday. We also ate delicious BBQ on our way in on Friday at Shakedown BBQ. If you're ever in town, we highly recommend it! And if you see a Reese's Funnel Cake, GET IT! 

Color Guard: 5 Methods to Teach Performance Qualities

One of the most difficult tasks for instructors of newer guards is to draw out performance qualities and get them to really convey the show to the audience and judges. I am teaching Broad Run High School tomorrow morning and started to think how I would help them learn how to perform.

I've put together a few methods you can try out to see what works for you. I've tried all of these, and it just depends on the group as to which will work best.

  1. Faces  

Around 2004 I taught color guard at a Vivace Productions camp with Todd Marcocci and there were four girls from this school in Maryland who never competed, they only performed at halftimes for their football team. Yet...they were incredible! It baffled me why their band director didn't like competing, but nonetheless, their performance ability was so spot on that I started to take notice. One day into the four day camp, I realized they would say "faces" happily to each other to remind them to perform. They would use that one word to mean "use your face to tell the story" and "change your face so it's not static throughout the choreography."

I also recently read an article online about the Rockettes1 and they had some great tips that I've highlighted below:

1. Relax your jaw and your tongue inside your mouth to give your face a relaxed look.
2. Lift your eyebrows a little - like you would if you're having an interesting conversation with someone.
3. Take in your surroundings with your eyes. Bonus! This will help with things like balance and spotting, too.
4. Breathe in through your nose, and let your breath escape through your mouth, which will be slightly open due to your relaxed jaw.
5. If you're having fun (and we hope you are! you're dancing!), let the shine in your eyes lift the corners of your mouth and smile.

  2. Storyline  

In 2006 at Act 1, our inaugural season, we had a show to the music of George Michael's Mother's Pride. The show was about sending off men and women to war. About halfway through the season, the director, Marcus Lewis, asked each of the 8 members (our team was TINY!) to write their character's story. They each took a week between rehearsals to think about their show, the movement they did, the interactions they had with other members, and they wrote their personal story for the show. The main dance soloist's story was about how her husband went off to war and didn't come back, and then her son was following in his footsteps. 

I also found out Pride of Cincinnati did something similar in 2013 for their Weight of the World show. Each member wrote about something that weighed heavily on them. Then they listened to the show music and thought about what they wrote, letting go a balloon when they felt like it was appropriate. I could see how this would help someone actively think about what weighs them and how to portray it in the show, and it would also be cathartic to write it down and then let that balloon go symbolically.

  3. Improv  

Improv is by far the most effective technique to get performers out of their comfort zone, but it's also really scary for rookies (and sometimes vets)!! I tackle it two ways. 

First, I have the staff and maybe 1-2 REALLY strong team members demonstrate the idea. 

Second, I don't put on music and say "go." I give them parameters for the improv so that it's structured. For example, I may tell everyone to start on the ground and that they must stay on the ground. Then 8-16 counts later I call out the next direction; perhaps I tell them to show they're trying to get off the ground but they can't. Then I say work your way to standing. Once they're standing I tell them to move without actively using their arms. Then they can move one arm. You get the gist. This takes the big scary improv, and gives it to the members in manageable "I can do that" pieces. 

  4. Imagery for Each Move  

When I write a section of movement for Stonewall Independent, I often make up short phrases to explain ehat they're portraying. For example, if I have the dancers reach towards the rifles, I may say "don't leave me" because if I don't, some of them may think they're supposed to be communicating "come hither" which is a very different look. Sometimes, however, I make up something more nonsensical. For expand le two years ago they had a ripple to start the show where they fluffed their dress and then turned to the back. We called it the fluff and fold!

  5. Watch other Groups Perform  

Often times people watch good groups only that are in the same style as your group (i.e., in color guard, watching Onyx). I would employ you to think outside the box on this one. Try looking at these types of groups and see what you can learn from everything:

• Not so good color guards - what can you learn from these?
• Dance companies or dance teams - watch their formations
• Cheerleading competitions - check out the lifts
• Baton twirlers - figure out how they turn so well
• Parade performances - sometimes simple and clean is effective

I think the most important advice a coach can give a team attending a competition for the first time is that they should watch every single group. As they watch they should start to make mental notes about (a) what they enjoyed and why they enjoyed it, (b) what interesting new moves they saw that they could work on, and (c) what they saw that they did not like as much and how they could do it differently.

IMPORTANT: You have to follow the golden rule in color guard: NEVER talk negatively about any group or person while at a competition. Not in the audience. Not in the cafeteria. Not even in the bathroom. Assume someone from that group, or their mom, can hear you. Don't say, "I didn't like xyz color guard" but you could say "the style of that group wasn't really for me." Avoid saying anything that can be interpreted as "they are bad" but saying something that implies "it's me, not you" is okay.

If you like these posts, check out the Stonewall Rules that translate into the real world: Rules 1-5, and Rules 6-10.

References:

1. http://www.rockettes.com/dance/facial-expressions.html