I wrote a nice long PM to Jan Zimmerman and send me this and now I want to share it with you:
10 aspects of a well presented footbag freestyle routine
by Jan Zimmerman
- o tenue
o demeanor
o introduction
o music
o diversity, entertainment
o theme
o fun
o choreography
o finish
o Entrance/Exit
Players should be conscious that they are presenting themselves to an audience and dress accordingly. Clean, tidy and trim appearance are a minimum requirement. Better even, if the audience becomes aware that the player has put some effort into his/her appearance.
Completely sweaty with wild hair, shirt half in and half out of the pant, different colored socks and shorts from the discounter should only be chosen if it is part of a routines concept.
The upper body should be covered during the whole part of the routine UNLESS your name is Eric Wulff, Ales Zelinka or Justin Sexton. If it is part of the show, taking of your shirt during your routine it is OK.
(negative examples: all routines from worlds 2004 finals
Positive examples: alex zerbe worlds 2002 final)
demeanor :
The players demeanor should be confident (but not conceited), friendly to euphoric and pleasant. The audience should be made aware, that the player is happy to be on stage and have the chance and entertain them for 2minutes. The players should signal the audience that they will witness something extraordinary and that theyr time will not be wasted.
This can be achieved by simple means like a smile, a wave, bowing to the audience, etc.
(positive examples: ole schnack, jan struz
Negative examples: paul cronjäger, footjam04, jan weber, footjam04)
introduction
the opening part of the routine should immediately carry the audience and the jury along and make them interested in the routine. It should become obvious that not simply any old song is played in the background but that it has been especially prepared/chosen for this routine. Apart from the music the players can also place special tricks or combos at the beginning of the routine or introduce some playacting to start their routine.
(positive examples: vasek kloude, euros 01, isabelle widmer, footjam04
Negative examples: jan weber, footjam04)
music
The choice of music is central to a routine! The music should help the audience relate to the presentation and the player. Only in this way can an audience be enthused by a routine. Music also plays a central role in choreography (see point . Important is that the player is comfortable with his/her routine song. Music and technical skill should merge in a routine, complement and upgrade eachother.
Music can also help bring variety into a routine, change of tempo, pauses for applause, intro and conclusion, etc.
(Positive examples: jan weber, footjam03, sam hufschmid, footjam04
Negative examples: jan weber, footjam04, renato zuelli, swiss champs 04)
diversity, entertainment
The worst thing that can happen is if an audience has seen enough of a routine after the first minute and looses interest. A routine should be built in a way that the audience is entertained for the whole two minutes.
This is why one of the biggest mistakes is to “freestyle” a routine. Players often fall into a certain style of play, certain style of tricks and combos they feel most comfortable with and after a minute the audience has basically seen it all.
At least the player should have a rough structure in their routine. Tempo changes, style changes, calm passages and pauses. Even if the player still freestyles within this frame it will greatly improve the performance.
(Positive examples: vasek klouda, footjam03, jan struz, footjam04
Negative examples: karim daouk, footjam04, jakob wagner, footjam04
Theme
It is perfect if a routine follows a theme that is recognmizable by the audience. All aspects of a freestyle routine can flow into this. For example a routine could tell a story, have a “red thread” flowing through the whole routine. Reoccurring elements that split the routine in definite parts, playacting, etc.
Bringing a theme into a routine is one of the hardest aspects along with choreography and requires players to prepare their routine extensively. Also one must beware to not let a theme run away with the routine. Footbag freestyle is a sport after all and not an artistic presentation. It is only a thin line to cross in this aspect.
(Positive examples: lon smith, worlds 2001, niki bagic, swiss champs 03
Negative example: alex zerbe, worlds 2002)
fun
It must be obvious to an audinece that a player enjoys being on stage and to be able to present his/her routine. During every second of a performance!!! No matter what happens. If a player mediates the feeling that he/she would rather not be on stage (in the open category) has already lost the audience and is wasting everybody’s time. Energy will only flow back from the audience if it is receiving energy from the player. An audience is also willing to support and cheer somebody who is having a bad day if it gets the feeling that the player is fully committed.
In terms of scoring it is of course decisive from the players viewpoint, that a jury notices as few of the mistakes as possible. A drop that is “concealed” with a smile will not stick in a jury’s mind as well a drop that is emphasized with a frown or with the shake of the head by the player. If a jury gets the feeling that the player him/herself was not satisfied with the performance it will tend to score accordingly no matter how the routine might compare to the others in the pool.
(positive examples: isabelle widmer, worlds2003, jan struz
Negative examples: nearly everyone)
choreography
Performing a trick or a combo is one thing. Performing the same trick or combo perfectly timed to the music at the exact moment it is meant to be performed in a routine is something else altogether. This is why a “true” choreography in a sense that it is used in other performing sports the highest possible achievement. A complete control and 100% confidence in ones abilities is necessary.
This is why in most cases it is advisable only to choreograph small parts of a routine and leave room for improvisation.
An audience should get the feeling however, that the tricks and combos presented are not random but actually meant to be played in the specific interval. Changes in tempo in the music should be mirrored by changes of tempo in the game or style of play. Pauses or breaks in the music should be choreographed accordingly.
Positive examples: yaccine merzouk, worlds 04, ales zelinke, finish open04, tina aeberli, worlds05)
finish
A routine should have a noticeable ending that signals to the audience that they may „cheer now“. It should be avoided at all costs to end a routine with a drop because this will be the last impression an audience and the jury will have of the routine. In this sense it is not advisable to try to end the routine with a “bang” in the sense of trying the hardest possible trick or combo. A nice “big looking” trick or combo that the player is 100% confident he can perform is better in most cases. The bag should be caught with the utmost confidence or in some other way brought into a “finishing position” to illustrate again, that the player had total control of the bag during the whole routine.
Positive examples: vasek klouda, Justin sexton, euros 99
Negative examples: almost everyone
entrance and exit
Entrance and exit are the first and last impression an audience and the jury gets forom a player and are therefore vitally important. A performance or routine BEGINS as soon as a player enters the stage and ENDS only when he has left the stage.
Even if a player feels he has made the worst performance ever he/she OWES the audience an exit in style. The audience has invested time and maybe even money to watch the performance and it is not their fault that the performance was weak.
Bowing to the audience, waving or applauding the audience, any kind of gesture that tells the audience you are grateful that it has come is a minimum.
As soon as the routine satisfactory to some extent it is a good thing to invest in a smile.
If there is a reason to be happy then a player should show that he/she is happy. This shows an audience and the jury that the player was satisfied with his/her performance and will influence both the lasting impression and the scoring.
Positive examples: vasek klouda, euros01
Negative examples: vasek klouda worlds 02, 03
All thanks goes to Jan Zimmerman and the others which helped me. (I.E. Maxime, David C..)