As a 110 member from 2009-2013 (Tuba) including being marching section leader in 2012, I feel like I have some credibility to this discussion.
The parade dance you're talking about is "Funk", my personal favorite and probably one of the more visually impressive ones the 110 does.
To provide some context as to why it may be "lessening" as you put it this year, about half of the current members of the 110 have literally never worn the uniform before due to COVID last year, the majority of marching section leaders (the ones in charge of teaching new members the dances) have never taught new members before, and they also have to teach twice as many new members due to reasons mentioned above.
Executing the high kick properly takes practice, you simply won't nail it consistently your first few parades. Getting your footwork to turn around, prep for the jump kick, and execute on the correct count is not as easy as it looks. It personally took me about half of my freshman season to really nail it confidently and not be out of step or time on the landing.
Conditioning is probably also a factor. My freshman year I was sore in places I have never felt before because of the high step and some of those parade dances. Again about half of the members never marched before, so they're all going through this right now. Practicing in shorts and t shirts is one thing, doing it in those wool uniforms during those first couple of weeks when its still warm out is a whole nother thing. Movement is restricted, sometimes you have to make adjustments to your uniform or swap out parts of it during the year to find one that fits comfortably and give you freedom of movement required.
Dr. Suk has been the director since '96, and Josh Boyer who marched in the early-mid 2000s (and if i recall correctly, was Field Commander one of those years) has been the assistant director for the past 6 years. They don't like the 110 looking sloppy. Much like what this year's football program is shaping up to be, this will be a rebuilding year to get everyone up to speed and clean up their execution in general.
By the time MAC play rolls around, I would imagine the 110 will clean up their weaknesses. You just got to be patient this year with all things considered.
Last Edited: 9/12/2021 7:14:15 PM by KyleWvr13