We are Americans

One of the most important things about the pageantry arts, is the ability to make design changes to the show. This year more than ever, at The Cadets we have been moulding and sculpting our show on a daily basis. Sometimes we base a change on the commentary of a well respected judge, but also, our excellent staff has been implementing changes strategically throughout the season to strengthen the show, and to constantly present the same adjudicators with a slightly different version of the Cadets. We spent the last three days implementing our largest reconstructive change to the end of our show. There is a whole new excerpt based on Lincoln Portrait, and then the Simple Gifts melody explodes out of Lincoln Portrait completely un-foreshadowed. Visually the corps spreads to the legal boundaries of our performance venue from end-zone to end-zone, and from sideline to sideline, and simple gifts develops with a chaotic flurry of motion resolving into a tight company front arc! Last night we performed the new ending for the second time, and it is powerfully emotional. All 7,000 people at the show jumped to there feet and I could tell that the final words of the narration gave people a sense of hope and pride for this country. "We can and will resolve the problems that now confront us, we are Americans." -Ronald Reagan