“WHAT YOU HAVE, WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH IT, AND HOW YOU KNOW: A STUDY IN PROCESS”
-- SCOTT CHANDLER
Come learn from one of our activities most successful and legendary designers! In this session, Scott will take volunteers from the audience and create a program. Discover how your cast guides your decision making process illustrated in this extreme example of customized choreography, strategic composition, and exposed process. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“LETS WATCH SOME COLOR GUARD!” Join our guest performers: SANTA CLARA VANGUARD, NORTH EAST INDEPENDENT, BLESSED SACRAMENT, and BRADDOCK INDEPENDENT as they provide presentations designed specifically for Spinfest!! Each unit will show us some of their signature qualities that make them consistent favorites with a long lineage of success. Each unit will deconstruct their piece and share how the piece was put together from staging to writing to editing to cleaning to performance! RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“WHAT DO WE SEE AND WHAT IS IT WORTH?” A COMPOSITIONAL AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF UNIT PRESENTATIONS
In this session we’ll take one more look at our World Class Performances after the many layers of development and choices presented over the weekend. You’ll hear how final decisions are made with and eye towards the competitive process. The 2010 judging team joins us in what promises to be a landmark conversation between performers, designers, judges, and you! Come and meet the brilliant minds behind the clipboards as we get more insight to the process of judging. Hear again from the designers and staffs as they blend the creative process and competitive strategy. This session will prove to be valuable to all involved in out competitive arts community as we find out “where the numbers come from”! RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“CREATING EFFECTS THRU MOVEMENT” -- MICHAEL ROSALES & MICHAEL JAMES
Two of WGI’s most innovative choreographers discuss how movement responsibilities are appreciated in the Effect and Ensemble captions. We will discuss premise driven choices, choreographic values relating to identity and aesthetic, movement qualities relating to mood and texture, and “movement effects”. This class will help you re-think movement as a design tool and help us all to value the “large eye” perspective of movement vocabulary. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- “Open” and “World”
“TOSS! HOW TO TEACH WEAPON TOSSES” -- ROSIE QUEEN & DANIEL WILES
What goes up, must come down! Learn from two of WGI’s finest! Rosie & Daniel will explain HOW to teach the basics of weapon tossing and how to get students to use proper technique. Learn how to trouble-shoot problems, and some tricks to developing a strong catch on both sabre and rifle. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“THE PROFESSION OF PAGEANTRY” -- MICHAEL GAINES Michael takes us through some of the glories and pitfalls of a career in color guard. This session is geared for the “lifer”! Listen as Michael speaks on ideas on how to weigh being an artist with being a businessman, some of the financial issues surrounding being an independent contractor, and the importance of creating and keeping a team you trust! RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“SOUND DESIGN: OUR FIRST CONSIDERATION IN PROGRAMMING” -- JON VANDERKOLFF
Jon takes us through his exploration of sound as a design element. Discover how a soundtrack can move from original source material to first edits, then to mid-season adjustments and re-sculpting. You’ll leave this session knowing that sound no longer dictates and limits choices but provides greater opportunity for exploration on your way to creating your show. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“SABRE TECHNIQUE 101” -- ROSIE QUEEN
Learn creative teaching methods and short cuts to get the most out of the beginning performer. You will learn sabre technique exercises that can be applied to performers at all levels. Focusing on building a strong technique program, strength building, and integrating movement with equipment techniques. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“IMPROVISATION AND THE EXPRESSIVE PERFORMER” -- MICHAEL RAIFORD
Michael will take this class through exercises built to pull dynamic expressive qualities from your performers. He uses these “games” as tools to help performers relate to any program and any audience. Also learn exercises designed to relax and focus performers. When done early in the season these will come in handy in fighting anxiety and stress during the last 2 week “push” of the season, a common trap for even the most seasoned performer. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“FLAG MASTER CLASS WITH BRADDOCK INDEPENDENT” -- DANIEL RILEY, MICHAEL ROSALES
The staff and members of Braddock Independent will teach and explore a dynamic phrase of flag choreography. You will leave inspired and with tools to help your students understand one of the approaches to flag choreography and teaching that leads to success in our activity. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“ITS SO IMPORTANT, WE JUDGE IT TWICE!” – UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECT CAPTION -- SAL SALAS Sal takes us through the General Effect sheet and explains how the terms relate to the creative process. Hear how establishing goals will effect where energy is placed in the competitive portion of your season. Listen as Sal explains the 3 types of effect, production value, and the importance of variety and range. Sal will help us to understand how efforts to explore and be creative can be more fruitful on a competitive level. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“PROGRAMMING AND DESIGNING FOR THE A & OPEN CLASS” -- JEFF BRIDGES
Jeff Bridges is one of our activities most prolific instructors of younger units. Join Jeff as he takes us through his process and weighs design decisions depending on the talents and abilities of different units, their staffs, and how he customizes his approaches for multiple units every year with their success and identities in tact! RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- Beginners, “A” and “Open”
“EDITING, AUGMENTING, AND OUTSIDE OPINION” -- SCOTT CHANDLER
Scott takes a second look at the program piece that started Friday. Hear his considerations on how the piece might want or need to evolve. Witness as he asks advice and options from creative “confidants” and hear the decision making process as those options are weighed. You’ll leave this session with an example of self-evaluation, and outside perspective. This knowledge will be invaluable as many units hit the middle of the season and are faced with creating a strategy for the 2nd half of the season. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“MASTER MOVEMENT CLASS WITH THE SANTA CLARA VANGUARD” -- CAROL ABOHATAB
Carol’s choreographic fingerprints always consist of cutting edge creativity combined with impeccable technical achievement. Join as Carol and members of the Santa Clara Vanguard teach and explore a movement phrase and hear how they approach teaching movement within their organization. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN: A STUDY IN OBSERVATION AND INSPIRATION” -- MICHAEL RAIFORD Michael explains the elements of design and how they affect us in our everyday lives. He will isolate points of inspiration as the audience selects materials that resonate to each individual. We will see composition from an intellectual viewpoint and relate to its intent and emotional response intended by the designer. This is a “Design 101” for those finding and creating their own units and personal aesthetic and identity. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- Beginning, “A”, and “Open”
“UNIT IDENTITY AND THE BIG CHOICES” -- MICHAEL GAINES
Michael will use video and other source materials to help us understand what it takes over years to build an organization’s identity and success. We’ll see his work with The Pride of Cincinnati and Aimachi and track their lineage from beginning of his involvement to present day. We’ll hear about the considerations when working with multiple groups how his ability to customize an approach becomes important to a units stylistic signature and its yearly evolution. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“Unlocking the Potential of the Written Phrase”-- MICHAEL JAMES
Michael James has an extensive body of work known for its depth and purposeful motivations. Come watch and participate as Michael constructs, deconstructs and reconstructs a movement phrase using concepts that explore choreographic form. You’ll experience movement “forwards, backwards, and inside-out”. Bring your thinking caps as this promises to challenge the mind as well as the body. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“RIFLE MASTER CLASS WITH NORTHEAST INDEPENDENT” -- JILL BRENNAN & ROBBY DUFRESNE
Here, the amazing staff and members of Northeast Independent will teach and explore a dynamic phrase of rifle choreography. Get to know NEI and leave with the tools to inspire your own “take” on rifle choreography. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!” -- SAL SALAS
Join one of the masters of our activity as he talks about process from premise through programming, production, and the most important “P” word in entertainment… PACING! With WGI’s “Any Style can WIN!” approach, you will want to get ahead of the pack with this information! Allow Sal to broaden the definition of “entertainment” and give you insight on how any program can reach its intended audience better. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“DECONSTRUCTING A CHAMPION- SANTA CLARA VANGUARD” -- JON VANDERKOLFF
Jon will take us through the journey of our 2009 Independent World Class Champion- The Santa Clara Vanguard. We will hear about the entire process “from premise to prelims!” Find out what motivated changes and edits, and how creative vision was balanced with competitive goals from one of the most evolving programs through the competitive season. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- “Open” and “World”
“INTRO TO OUR JUDGING SYSTEM/THE PROCESS OF COMPETITION” -- JIM MAHONEY, PHIL MADDEN, KRISTEN O’MELIA, WARREN RICKART
Here, we’ll focus on the sport aspect of our “Sport of the Arts”. In this session, we’ll meet the 2010 Class Managers. Listen as they give us an overview of each captions philosophy, score sheet, and class considerations. You’ll know better how judges view performances and what they look for in each program as they work to determine their score. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“BUILDING A MOVEMENT REPERTOIRE & IDENTITY THROUGH THE USE OF BUILDING BLOCKS” -- CAROL ABOHATAB & MICHAEL JAMES
Carol & Michael will show us how we build upon a movement standard to create a broader movement repertoire. This is usually the first step on the way to customizing choreography and creating a units choreographic identity. You will leave knowing more about how to approach movement with the goal of standing out from the competition. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“SABRE MASTER CLASS WITH BLESSED SACRAMENT” -- KATHY ARUDA & ANN MARIE VALERI
The staff and members of Blessed Sacrament will teach and explore a dynamic phrase of sabre choreography. Students will experience the type of rehearsal that leads to the success surrounding this group known for innovative and challenging equipment choreography. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- All
“DECONSTRUCTING A CHAMPION- AVON H.S.” -- DANIEL WILES
Daniel will take us through the journey of our 2009 Scholastic World Class Champion- Avon H.S. Daniel will share how he has built his program from the ground up and explore his development over time as this program evolved from Open Class to World Class champion over the course of several years. There will also be a time for questions so you can see how his concepts might apply to your project or gain greater insight to one of WGI’s Champions! RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- “Open” and “World”
“FLAG TECHNIQUE 101” -- ROSIE QUEEN
Rosie has been associated with performance excellence and standard setting training for well over a decade. Come learn from Rosie as she talks about the first place “clean is seen”….the flag! Learn creative teaching methods and short cuts to get the most out of the beginning performer. Focusing on building a strong technique program, strength building, and integrating movement with equipment techniques. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- Beginner thru Advanced
“RIFLE TECHNIQUE 101” -- DANIEL WILES
You will learn from one of our activities most prolific instructors who has built competitive programs from the ground up. Daniel’s years of experienced combined with impeccable instincts have seen his work rise to become the powerhouse it is today. Learn creative teaching methods and short cuts to get the most out of the beginning performer. You will learn basic rifle technique exercises that can be applied to performers at all levels. RECOMMENDED AUDIENCE- ALL
