The ankle knee step is a type of high step used by

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...

s. It is named such because when executed properly, the

ankle The ankle, or the talocrural region, or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular join ...

of one leg should be at the height of the

knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...

of the other leg. This step is chiefly used by marching bands which consider themselves traditional or show style bands, although drum corps and corps-style marching bands may use this step sparingly for effect. When performed, the toe should be the last part of the foot to leave the ground and the first part to hit it again. Although the step is a dynamic movement, care should be taken to step smoothly so as not to interrupt the air flow of wind instrumentalists. As the

glide step Glide step is a form of movement used by marching bands to minimize upper body movement, enabling musicians to play their instruments and march without air-stream interruptions. Standardizing the style of marching also serves to add to the visual ...

rolls the foot from the

heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg. Structure To distribute the compressive for ...

to the

toe Toes are the digits (fingers) of the foot of a tetrapod. Animal species such as cats that walk on their toes are described as being ''digitigrade''. Humans, and other animals that walk on the soles of their feet, are described as being ''plan ...

, marchers executing the ankle knee step roll the foot from the toe to the heel. The entire step is a fluid motion; execution should be in time such that the "up" position is reached on the "and" counts and the "down" position is on the "down" counts. The foot comes forward in a scooping action rather than a bicycle step, which is to be avoided.

Notable Bands that use Ankle-Knee Step

Marching 100 The Marching 100 is the official name of the marching band at Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida. Since its inception, the band has been credited for 30 innovative techniques which have become standard operating procedures for m ...

(Florida A&M University) * The Pride (Bethune-Cookman University) *The Human Jukebox (Southern University) * Tiger Marching Band (Grambling State University) *The Aristocrat of Bands (Tennessee State University) *

Marching Illini The Marching Illini (MI) is the marching band of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Marching Illini is an organization which annually includes approximately 400 students enrolled in the University of Illinois. Part of the College of ...

(University of Illinois) * Eastern Michigan University Marching BandThe Pride of The Peninsula (Eastern Michigan University) *South Carolina State Marching 101 Band (SCSU)

References

{{marching-band-stub Marching bands Military marching

Notable Bands that use Ankle-Knee Step

See also

References