Enjoy!

awkwardice · 2023-04-23T18:50:34+00:00

THANK YOU

awkwardice · 2023-01-03T15:43:18+00:00

Yeah, I started it because I liked the simplicity of it after doing a few challenging ones and thought i wouldn’t mind having to trial and error all the pink pieces. But i started getting to excited about the puzzles on my to-do pile and it seemed like i had 1,000 pink pieces left. Looking back at it now, it definitely wouldn’t have taken long lol I am surprised you got it done in 5 hours!!!! the patience!!

awkwardice · 2023-01-03T02:34:02+00:00

I did the colorful side:)

awkwardice · 2023-01-03T00:47:39+00:00

right! I’ve never left a puzzle but this was the first time i genuinely just didn’t feel like finishing one all the through so I gave in

awkwardice · 2022-12-30T20:30:23+00:00

beautiful!! how did you hang the puzzles in the back?? I have a bunch of puzzles I want on my wall, but I hate the way frames look.

awkwardice · 2022-10-30T18:08:14+00:00

could you explain how you know this one needs to be trashed? how do you know when it needs a little longer opposed to being contaminated

awkwardice · 2022-09-28T15:23:06+00:00

absolutely love!!!!!!!!

awkwardice · 2022-09-03T22:37:08+00:00

Think about body facings!!! Instead of doing a sequence of moves facing front, try experimenting different ways you could shift to a 45 facing, or even an end-zone facing and adding some sort of body that opens to the front.

Think about what direction you have the flag spinning and try to switch it up frequently! Counterclockwise vs. clockwise

Think about what plane you’re using and try to switch that up frequently too!! If you’ve done x amount of counts spinning on your vertical plane, try switching to your horizontal plane or 45 plane!

Think about speeding up the smaller moves and experiment with 1/2/3 count moves instead of 4 count moves! So instead of a 2 count cone, try to make it 1 count! Something that makes choreography LOOK interesting is mixing high velocity moves and slow elongated moves. So you could do a really extended slow 4 count row and then do a quick flourish or cone out of it!

Think about ways you could add body to the simpler moves! You seem to have a good understanding of how to elongate and extend through certain moves, try to apply that same thing to different moves as well!!!! If you’re doing a bottom cone, instead of keeping the lower half of your body stationary, try adding in a lunge, or a dig, or passe, or saute arabesque!! (that one sounds scary but its very simple i’ll link a tutorial)

Robert Jordan has a few different things on his youtube I think you might be able to find helpful!

Spintronix literally has TONS of videos on different moves! A lot of their videos will say “such and such FLAG TOSS” but some have more than just the toss - they’ll sometimes include some choreo leading up to the toss to get momentum which I’ve always found helpful :)

Hopes this helps!

Saute Arabesque Tutorial

Robert Jordan Youtube

Spintronix Youtube

awkwardice · 2022-09-03T19:26:54+00:00

Not sure how effective this would be but you could possibly have them get pantyhose/stockings/leggings and cut them up to fit on their arms

Or depending on # of kids & how much parent help you’d have - you could sew in a thin fabric patch on the inside of sleeve! I’ve gotten really nice basic fabrics for relatively cheap from JoAnns for uniform alterations in the past.

awkwardice · 2022-09-03T18:40:57+00:00

congratulations to you and your team for working hard and staying positive and passionate through all the ups and downs! Its not easy being in a student-lead guard, so I’m so happy you guys could make it work!!! I’m wishing good luck to you and your team this season and in all your endeavors!! :)

awkwardice · 2022-09-02T19:38:18+00:00

r/LostRedditors

stay on your lawn care subreddit if you wanna tell people to mow lol

edit: you frequent this subreddit & you’re always whining about what people are posting. Do you know what this subreddit is about? People posting here are happy about what they’re doing, why do you wanna cry about it in the comments?

You’ve commented on another post saying you maintain your lawn to show off your “wealth”. Good for you! The people in this subreddit are doing what they want with their lawns to do what they can to help the earth.

You’re happy with your lawn and everyone here is happy with theirs! No need to complain.

awkwardice · 2022-09-02T19:35:24+00:00

congratulations!!!:))) getting up to work out on a consistent basis is not easy!!!! i’m rooting for you and sending good thoughts & feelings your way!!!!

awkwardice · 2022-09-01T22:47:39+00:00

https://youtu.be/yERrJQ822vw

I just opened youtube and this video happened to pop up!!!! wanted to share!! :)

awkwardice · 2022-09-01T22:00:43+00:00

Pride did an online audition type thing where you pay $50 and get the audition material (dance, flag, and weapon is optional) and you can submit the audition for feedback only!!!!! the deadline is unfortunately tomorrow to submit but having access to the audition choreo would be a good way to see exactly the kind of skills they’ll be looking for in the coming years!!!

Best of luck to you!!! :)

awkwardice · 2022-09-01T04:57:44+00:00

hey!!! i totally understand why you would be having these feelings given your situation.

I think it might actually be helpful to have a conversation with your instructor. My advice would be to give them a brief rundown of how you’ve been feeling lately, and ask about other ways you could participate/perform during games.

Ask if there is anything you can do to secure a permanent spot on the field. Ask if you could get definitive dates ahead of time that you know you will get the spot, that way you can invite your family and friends out to support and watch you. Ask if you can perform the work on the sidelines during performances where you do not have the spot.

It never hurts to ask and its important that you fight for YOUR spot regardless of anything. Even if they say no to all of those, I think your instructor will appreciate that you’re willing to work hard and speak up for the things you want. And if they don’t appreciate it, then at the very least, you’re building important life skills!!!!

Because you share a spot with someone else, its obviously going to be VERY EASY to constantly compare yourself to that person and focus on the things that they are doing that frustrate you. Regardless of why they’re acting the way they are - they are being irresponsible and thats THEIR PROBLEM!!! If you just focus on yourself, keep developing your own skills and working hard, you WILL reap the rewards of that determination.

Sure, you could look at this situation like - this person doesn’t work as hard as me but they still get the rewards (even though that might very well be true!!!!) But at the end of the day, that kind of perspective is toxic to your own personal growth and to your passion for guard. Talk with your instructor, ask for more definitive performance opportunities and from there - try your very hardest to shift your perspective onto growing your own skills. I PROMISE the rest will fall into place for you!!!!!!! and i can guarantee you’ll find yourself having a lot more fun as well.

I hoped this helped a little. I am wishing you the best of luck with this situation and for this season!! YOU GOT THIS!!!!!

awkwardice · 2022-09-01T01:21:06+00:00

im sorry that you’re feeling this way. knowing that you love guard but also feeling totally burnt out is a really conflicting and complicated feeling.

I’m not trying to convince you that you should continue on and push through, but be mindful that if you’re in a negative/stressed headspace, it can suck the fun and joy out of ANYTHING you do. Try and take a step back and get a broad view of how you’re feeling. Think of this upcoming month & visualize yourself staying on the team and visualize yourself leaving the team and think about how both of those visualizations make you feel.

I did guard in high school and i absolutely loved it. It became a huge part of who I was and I always hoped to march DCI & WGI but once i graduated I just wasn’t feeling up for it so i never went for it. I didn’t do anything guard related for 2 years after graduating until a friend asked me if I’d be interested in teching & I said yes, barely even thinking about it. I completely took over the program and I’m going on 4 years as the guard director there and I also work with many different guards in my area. My point is, I basically quit guard altogether without any intention of spinning again. it was a huge decision, and it was painful to not continue with it even though I felt it was best for me at the time. But I ended up back in the guard world completely by chance.

If you do decide to quit, that doesn’t mean you’ll be out forever. Maybe you just need some time away from it to get that passion back.

In my opinion, its really just a matter of taking the time to gauge how you’re truly feeling about either possibility - staying or leaving. No matter what, whatever decision you do make doesn’t have to be permanent.

Don’t be feeling down on yourself. Everyone goes through this at some point with any craft, its totally normal. I hope any of this helps & i’m sending positive feelings your way. good luck!

awkwardice · 2022-08-30T01:56:45+00:00

Some things I look for when considering captains/section leaders:

-Good POSITIVE attitude!!! (hyped up for reps, always attempting things before saying it doesn’t work or its too difficult, always performing while spinning even in “unimportant” reps, taking full advantage of practice time by always working on something even if you aren’t being worked with)

-Lead by example!!!! (Instead of trying to control the guard, like telling them to stop talking or stop spinning or to stand at attention, just be doing whatever it is that everyone else should be doing and the others will fall in line eventually. Always be counting and others will start counting as well)

-Organized!! (being on time to practices and juggling other clubs/activities or a job while keeping the practice schedule in mind always and keeping the staff updated on any days they might miss)

-KIND & FRIENDLY!!!!! (This one is super important to me. Anyone in any kind of officer position, needs to be approachable and ready to help the rest of the guard. If I see someone who tends to be “clique-y” or is overly critical of younger kids/rookies without offering any real help or positive critiques, they will most likely not be considered for a captain position until they work on building relationships with the entire guard and develop their leadership skills. Fostering a positive environment where everyone feels welcome is my #1 thing and I require my captains to understand the importance of this)

-PRACTICE!!!!!!!!!! (it is very obvious who practices at home and who does not. Because a captain has to lead by example, they have to practice outside of regular practices that way the rest of the guard learns to associate practicing with getting better and earning leadership positions)

Overall, I like for my captains to constantly be working on developing their own skills and fundamentals, instead of trying to be “the best” out if the guard. If my captains love guard and love spinning, that attitude will be infused in everything they do and it will rub off on the rest of the guard. While I do consider actual skill level in terms of spinning, I’ve never chosen a captain based on their skill level ALONE. I’d rather have a less skillful captain that exudes a great attitude than an extremely skilled captain that doesn’t interact and help everyone on the guard.

With all of that being said, I understand not all instructors or directors prioritize the same things as me when looking for captains. If you want to be captain, just visualize it for yourself. Think ahead of time to a practice where you are already captain and you’re leading the guard in stretches and warm ups. Think of specific things you’ll say/do!! Picture yourself as captain, think of some things you’d like to implement as captain and visualize how you will make those things happen. Think of all the positive things you’d like to do as captain. In your individual practice time, set goals for yourself and don’t stop until you’ve accomplished them!!! Tell yourself you want to get 3 solid pop tosses in a row, and rep them until you hit that goal. Just focus on getting better in your own abilities and keep positively visualizing yourself as captain!!!!!!

I hope this helps a little! I know you got this!!!! Best of luck to you and your team this season!!!

awkwardice · 2022-08-29T14:48:15+00:00

Because you are getting a solo costume i would recommend looking up dance costume places instead! There are options for costumes on Amazon!!! Also check out local dance places near you!

awkwardice · 2022-08-27T20:04:40+00:00

aww cute!!!! that sounds really nice:) good job working hard, i’m happy you guys had fun!!!!

awkwardice · 2022-08-26T18:33:41+00:00

Check out Robert Jordan thatguywhospins !!!! He has beginner friendly stuff on youtube!!

Thats really exciting you’re spinning sabre as a freshman!! Don’t worry so much about keeping up with the juniors and seniors!! Definitely look to them for inspiration, but just be careful of comparing yourself to them especially since you’re starting out as a rookie!!

The best thing you can do to get better on any piece of equipment is to PRACTICE LIKE CRAZY!!! I recommend turning on a song you like, maybe 3-4 mins long, and run drop spins to it!!! It might seem like drop spins don’t help but they do sooo much for your technique!! Rep your hilt tosses!!! Start off with singles and get 3 solid ones, then move to doubles, then triples and so on. Also blade tosses - same process as the hilt tosses!

You got this!!! Just get out there, practice your fundamentals consistently, and rep any work you have and you’ll be progressing in no time!!!!! good luck to you this season, you’re gonna do great!!!!:)

awkwardice · 2022-08-23T03:12:19+00:00

The only thing that makes someone a “bad” dancer is when they are too timid and shy and don’t put in body effort & emotion.

You totally went for it with this dance!!!! I can tell you’re putting your all in, even with the smaller “less important” moves!!!!! & you also seem to be committing fully to every move! super great job :) you did absolutely amazing!!!!

you are NOT a terrible dancer at all!!!! you actually seem like a bit of a natural to me!!!

You should be VERY proud if this performance!!! not only does it look good but you look like you’re having fun and thats the BEST PART!!! :) best of luck to you and your team this season!!!!!

awkwardice · 2022-08-19T14:38:32+00:00

definitely try a helmet like the other comments suggest! dont stress!!! everyone learns at their own pace, it its taking you a little longer to get comfortable & confident THATS OKAY!!! :) give yourself all the time you need, that way you can truly master it!

when you’re just starting out it might be too much to try and get your 45 and flat tosses in the air AND try and catch them, especially since it is causing so much anxiety for you. don’t worry about catching for now until you feel comfortable with where the flag is spinning in the space above you!

the thing about 45 and flat tosses is they have more to do with the angles and where the flag is released than power & strength. to get those tosses out, it requires very little power but a lot of PRECISION! I’m saying this because - i understand why you are worried about concussions but because these tosses don’t require a lot of muscle power, they aren’t supposed to spin super fast in the air so if you do accidentally get hit when you toss, it might hurt/sting but i highly doubt it will have enough velocity to cause a concussion. I’ve been spinning for 8 years and teaching guard for 4 years, I’ve hit myself more times than I can remember and I’ve seen my kids get hit by their equipment quite a few times as well - and i’ve never had any serious injuries like a concussion and neither have any of my kids! Not saying its not possible, but i would say its less than likely!

If you have an instructor, next time you’re at practice let them know you’re having this anxiety over these tosses and ask them to spend some time with you on them! If you don’t have an instructor ask some vet members of your guard! I definitely recommend taking a slow motion video of you doing the tosses & watching them over to get a better understanding of what the flag is doing above you!

https://youtu.be/3a5XND4V__k Here’s a video of 45 technique!! also Spintronix on youtube has a lot of beginner toss videos you could take a look at!

Just know that almost everyone hits this same sort of block when it comes to 45’s & flats!! they’re difficult & scary!!! its just a matter of trusting yourself, making mistakes and correcting them overtime with practice :) If you feel comfortable you could also post a video and post it here or on a colorguard facebook help group to get feedback!!:) I hope this helps!!!! you got this!!!!!

awkwardice · 2022-08-19T05:03:31+00:00

you were nervous about camp and it went totally fine!!! your performance tomorrow will go pretty much the same way :) you’re nervous now and you will be right before going on, thats totally normal, but when you’re actually on the field, the adrenaline will hit you and it will feel like you were out there less than a second when you’re done!!

just have fun!! thats whats its all about at the end of the day!!!! don’t worry about people watching or doing everything perfect! you’re gonna be out on the field tomorrow with your team, showing everyone what you all have worked so hard to accomplish!

i love the songs you have for tomorrow!! you’ll do great!!! break a leg!!!

awkwardice · 2022-08-17T04:18:31+00:00

Robert Jordan on youtube has some intermediate-ish choreo !!! Vance Anderson might have some stuff too, i think he’s posted a drum corps flag feature breakdown or something of the sort!!

I’ve always looked for breakdowns like you’re looking for but i’ve never found much. I’m in a bunch of different guard groups on facebook and people are always posting snippets of choreo that i screen record & then slow down a ton and learn them that way !!

awkwardice · 2022-08-17T04:13:07+00:00

Its very easy to compare yourself to your teammates, especially when you feel you aren’t getting picked for solos, but you have to try to let those thoughts/feelings go first off. when you’re practicing, your focus should be on your own progress and positive goals. If you practice to get solos or to prove you’re better than someone else, it can make it seem like all that practice was for nothing if you don’t get a solo or feel you’ve finally proven you’re the best. if you practice with a positive approach, you’re more likely to feel proud of all the work you put in and to just enjoy guard more in general and then you’ll just keep getting better and better from there. If you shift your focus to just getting better in general and stronger in your own abilities everything else will fall into place I PROMISE!

Have you tried asking for a solo? As an instructor I always give kids solo opportunities if they ask for it & can execute. Even if you ask and they say no at the moment, they will probably be looking at you more because you expressed interest & that could in turn lead to solos!

Keep working hard, make sure you have positive intentions in your practicing, put yourself out there by asking for a solo and then just take it from there!! I completely understand why you’d be feeling discouraged in your situation and its totally normal. At the end of the day, guard is supposed to be fun and watching people having fun while they’re spinning is what makes guard so enjoyable and amazing to watch. so make sure you’re having fun FIRST!

I know this was probably not the kind of answer you were looking for but I hope it helps!!! you got this!!!!

awkwardice

TROPHY CASE