This is all out of sincerity and genuine curiosity because I am still learning a lot about the industry!
But...is it just me - or does every year...music release for teams themselves seem to be getting later and later? I mean that 8 track is going here in almost December...even for some more "well-known" teams....yet....other teams have already had new/additional edits to theirs and what not. I guess I am genuinely confused by the whole process and only bring it up in this thread because of the multiple previous comments about how critical music is to a routine- no matter if the team's skills are insane or not.
I also feel like if I was an athlete/coach/gym owner of a team using that track still...I would be starting to get frustrated. Lol - but that's me I guess! Ultimately, does anyone know if there is a reason behind this other than the lawsuit stuff? Too much demand - not enough time for editors? Would you get a refund if it wasn't done by your first competition - haha?!
I also greatly appreciate the creativity and innovation that comes alongs with the use of props...and I am not saying people in the back of a section (particularly running tumbling) cannot dance or do their thang really well...but I continually find it difficult to focus on anything else when these things are present in a routine.
(Only using Stars because it's the most relevant/recent example in the thread) I mean that Gaga banner is massive and I found myself staring at it from the start until they revealed it, and then realized I was completely disregarding everything else. I am starting to find all that extra jazz completely unnecessary for all-star routines (of course .. naturally when they seem to be super prevalent lately haha!) - mostly because it seems like an over the top attempt to one-up each other and bring flash to a routine if that makes any sense. Just let the technique & skills do the talking! In my opinion, it just doesn't seem worth the risk to include these things for the most part! I would love to hear other opinions, too!
Lastly - haven't teams received suggestions to remove props after day one of competitions in the past? Is this a common complaint from judging panels? I would be curious to hear a judge's perspective on how they ensure they do not get distracted by a prop or a kitschy dance instead of the skills being thrown - and understand what they view as effective incorporation of these things into a routine.