March 12th Rehearsal Kicked Things Up a Notch! March 12, 2006 We returned to rehearsal on March 12, recognizing the challenge of making up for a lost February rehearsal. A snowstorm had other plans for the northeast last month! At the kickoff to the day, we circled around Director George Lavelle who put us back on track to recover lost ground. He reminded us that our home show, The Tournament of Stars Invitational, is just three months away. “Not to worry; I hear those hearts beating harder, my own included! We're in good shape and and I'm confident that we'll be ready come June 10th.” It's time to start memorizing our charts and moves, in preparation of going outdoors next month. We took up the challenge to move this show forward, so we buckled down for a long, productive rehearsal. The guard and horns made the day's first priority to MOVE like a drum corps in the gym. Horn players and Guard girls formed a close interval block to move while handling equipment. We began with movement exercises that taught us to think about performing while moving, all the while, learning parts of our 2006 show along the way. George had us laugh at our mistakes and his own; best to work through problem spots now so they'll come naturally later. A few of us walked away a little achey (the Bridgemen Shuffle can do that to you!), but “no pain, no gain.” The hour passed quickly then our sectional instructors took over our instruction. We're blessed with talented instructors who recognize our capabilities and know how to bring them out. Dennis DeLucia, Larry Kerchner, Jim Mallen, Matt Krempasky, and Matt Hurley are crafting our show out of their creativity and experience. Crowds in the stands will soon know why we work hard to please our talented instructors. They are molding us to reach our potential, both for ourselves and the crowds we'll entertain! Through the afternoon, drummers and horn players practiced our parts, and our girls danced with guard equipment for a few more hours. Each section rose to the challenge of practicing as a line and improving our contribution to the 2006 show. At 4:30, it was time for Show & Tell, where we came to together in St. Andrew's Gym to perform for each other, our staff, and our supporters. By experiencing firsthand each other's progress, we saw the progress we've made as a corps in the last few months and had a taste of what the summer has in store for us! The day passed quickly and we knew that our energy was well spent in making progress. We left St. Andrew's today and left behind our last indoor rehearsal for the 2006 season. Next month, we move outdoors and on to the next level of practice and performance. What we've learned indoors, coupled with our coming outdoor rehearsals, will set us on course to performing more naturally and confidently on the field of performance! We can meet this challenge because we're blessed with enthusiastic members from diverse backgrounds. Some performed with the Bridgemen as juniors, some performed with other great corps, some with marching bands, while some KNEW someone in corps and were later attracted to our playful image. It goes to show how diverse our appeal is! We gel together for a common belief in what this group can accomplish as performers and friends to each other. We strive to live up to the hopes of our founders and instructors through the years. These dreamers, both living and present, have taught us to dig deep to showcase the showmanship and vitality of the Bridgemen. Thanks to everyone who participated this March weekend. The best is yet to come! The Bridgemen Alumni and seven other entertaining corps will be performing live at our home show in just a few short months. So come see us at the Tournament of Stars Invitational in Bayonne, NJ on June 10th! Adult tickets are $10 each when you order online by June 1st! You can also place ads in our Program Book Journal to promote your business, your group, your service, etc. You can promote the section of the corps you're in. You can even promote just yourself for a few bucks! Back to Information Articles