» Marching style?

What marching style do you like better, both from an aesthetic standpoint and an actual execution standpoint?

Aesthetically, nothing catches my eye and holds it better than a perfectly executed straight-leg style. I mean the no-bend-at-all kind of straight leg. However, from a standpoint of actually executing it, I'd have to say I prefer marching more of a Cavies' bicycle-step.

I guess that's why there's the middle ground, like the Blue Devils' straight-leg with a knee-break halfway through. To quote Andre Feagin, "There's a reason they have all those Visual trophies."

I agree, I love the look of a perfect straight-leg style.

From a performance view, I also enjoy marching in pure straight leg. Of course, it did take me a long time to learn, and it takes time to get a feel for - "I thought my legs WERE straight!" Anyhow, whenever I'm in band I try for a bent leg or at least a slightly bent leg, but it just doesn't feel as upright and tall.

Tall or thick grass is crazy to go through, however. At especially bad fields, I've been to the point were I was exhausted just getting to my opening set.

Easy enough to teach, just scream out "STRAIGHT LEGS!" over and over...heheh.

Does Port Huron ring a bell?

I've never heard that before!!!

straight leg on backwards and slight knee bend in forwards march. complete straight leg isnt really possible to keep feet out of the sound.
what about jazz running?
i prefer the straight leg on downbeats. makes big step sizes really easy. total bent leg is just too straining to do.

I'd have to disagree with you. Cadets and Crown managed to do fairly well in not having feet in their sound. Cadets are as straight-leg as you get, and I've been taught Crown's technique by their visual staff . . . .

As far as jazz running, is the straightened leg you're referring to the rear leg? If so, yes, I prefer that. Otherwise I'm not really sure how you'd get a straight leg on the forward articulation.

Yes, I think that would be quite difficult!!!

I'm going to have to say my favorite style is probably SCV. Slight bend in Knee and Rolling of the toes during forward marching and straight leg/platforms going backwards. Also, the newly added roll into the halt. I'm not a fan of the stab halt...

Stab halt? It's only a stab if you don't really know what you're doing, my friend A tondu articulation is a placement of the feet and an (almost) roll backward to the heel from the point. Besides, a roll-through articulation ends up giving you that really nasty-looking hip-ball-change on direction changes. Tondu articulation follows the applications of ballet movement and makes the marching technique more graceful (when done correctly).

But yeah . . . that's me.

well i marched crown this summer we didnt use complete straight leg technique on forwards march. i meant marching with perfectly straight legs that never bend. idk about cadets but we had a slight knee bend on the crossing count.

and for jazz running i meant straight legs on the downbeats and plea(sp?) on the pass through. its a harder to learn but makes 4 to 5 and 3 to 5 easy for shorter people.

Ah, well, the slight knee-bend is always going to be there. So I guess I was just discounting that as a given when I mentioned the "perfect" aspect. Cadets do have the least bend in the activity in their style though.

Would you mind describing the jazz run technique in a little detail? I think I get it, but I'm not entirely sure. The plié makes sense, but I love learning about other techniques I'm unfamiliar with.

Me personally.
i love the straight leg appraoch, but i also like the Colts over the Chargers...it's just a preference

its a turned out straight leg on each of the downbeats. and your step size determines the amount of plea that occurs on the passthrough. its obviously designed for big steps but it also helps eliminate the shrinking that most corps do when they jazz run. and it just looks BA if you do it right.

I have taught and marched many styles and...

It doesn't matter to me as long as the technique is uniform throughout the ensemble.

Im more of a fan of the UW-Madison style, its the old school traditional but with a little hop to it. from the box it looks super cool.