All-Star Length Of A Routine

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As a music producer, I do my best to make sure my mixes are under or right at 2:30. Sometimes the coaches are asking for WAY more 8 counts than normal, so either you speed the whole mix up, or you speed up running tumbling and dance to the point of rediculousness. Or if the team can't handle a fast mix, the only alternative is to remove an 8 count (that usually goes over like a ton of bricks). But keep in mind that there are also coaches who ask to just leave it a little longer because they rely on the 1-2 second reaction time to start a timer.

Worlds routines are totally maxed out: they are as fast as possible without heart attack, jammed with as many 8 counts as possible, and often include the 1-2 second reaction time.

Yes we hold some responsibility, but there is also a choreographer responsibility to keep it reasonable, a coach responsibility to comply, and an event producer responsibility to enforce the rule. The blame cannot soley be placed on music producers.
 
After listening to a lot of the new music that has been released, which there is a lot of good and creative music out there. The DJ’s and Mixers out did them selves this year. But I have also noticed that there are several mixes that are over the 2’ 30” that are set forth in the rules.

From the USASF Web Site under General Safety Rules and Routine Requirements
http://usasfrules.com/general-safety/

Rule N Clearly States
“Competition routines shall not exceed 2 minutes and 30 seconds.”

Why would a DJ deliver a mix that is over the time limit to a team?
Why would a Coach use any music that is over the limitl?
What is the penalty for going over that time limit?
Has there been any thought to a timing beep at the start of the routine to signal the start of the routine like they do in Gymnastics and Dance to the time keeper?

Seems like there is a lot to loose and nothing to gain by pushing the length of time of a routine. I know that some coaches will come in just under that mark.


There is a really simple answer to this. Coaches try to fit everything but the kitchen sink in their routines now and they go over the maximum number of eight counts that will realistically fit in a routine at a manageable tempo, so we keep squeezing and squeezing until it's "close enough." Contrary to the belief of most allstar coaches, music is all math driven. Once you get to the threshold, your music must speed up 5-8 BPM (beats per minute) to fit an additional eight count. That means, once you get to 46 full eight counts, if you want to add one more and be 47, your music goes from a really high-energy fast paced mix, to LUDICROUS speed with that one change. They say, "can't you just speed up the tumbling" and "make it work?" The answer is NO. You can't. But you can't explain the theory or logic to someone who absolutely has to have this extra element in, so what is the alternative? Be over a second (.01) or so and hope for a grace period. It's been going on since the beginning of cheerleading music and I really doubt it will ever change. Do the competition companies really want to fight this battle with the entire cheer world? I have no idea. That's a question for others to answer. All I know is, if allstar gyms want their music to be strictly under 2:30, they have to be willing to either take that extra eight count out, or do their routine to music so fast that it sounds terrible.

I hope this provides a little incite from a producer's point of view :)
 
In addition, Andre is correct. The tracks always have silence at the beginning and end of the music so the registered time on the file display is irrelevant.
 
In addition, Andre is correct. The tracks always have silence at the beginning and end of the music so the registered time on the file display is irrelevant.

I aware of this.. and have not used the time bar on the file
 
imrichhowboutu I've always wondered why that didn't count. Back in the early days, teams would do these elaborate entrances and pre-routine chants, etc. I thought the time limit was supposed to eliminate all that mess.

Remember when the teams from Texas would march on to the floor at NCA 2x2 to the front of the mat than split to there spots. The Texas March
 
Can we enforce a setup on the floor time limit as well? If I have to watch a team step on the floor and huddle up, or an 8 count motion sequence just to move to their opening spots, I might shoot myself.
I'm waiting for the day that timing starts at the "first organized movement" like it says in the rules. All the teams that stand there and then count, 5-6-7-8 and hit their opening pose would be in for a surprise.

You guys should come over to Germany.
Set up and leaving time is 30 seconds each (1 point deduction for every second over - and out of 100 possible points those seconds do add up).
And your first organized movement starts the routine (2:30 - every second over is one point deduction). So if a team would even count 5-6-7-8 that would be the start of the routine (and give you lots of deduction-points for being over time fast).
 
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