Officially Approved for DCI Tour

The Battalion has been officially approved to join the 2016 DCI Tour. The following excerpt from Michael Boo's DCI.org article highlights the growth of DCI's Open Class and how The Battalion is contributing to the resurgence of the activity. Click here to view the full article.

New Open Class corps approved for '16 DCI Tour

By: Michael Boo

Release: 05/18/2016

Drum Corps International’s Open Class division continues to grow, with two new corps approved to perform as part of the DCI Tour this year—Shadow from Oregon, Wisconsin and The Battalion from Salt Lake City, Utah.

“DCI’s Open Class has seen some amazing growth on several levels in recent years,” says DCI Open Class Coordinator David Eddleman. “Many existing Open Class drum corps have been enjoying unprecedented attendance at audition camps and have more than enough qualified candidates to fill their rosters.”

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Deploying The Battalion The other Open Class unit joining the DCI Tour this year is The Battalion from Salt Lake City, Utah. Director Dallin Hatch says that since 2014, the corps has focused on developing a dedicated board of directors and a solid corporate infrastructure.

Members of the Battalion brass section during a rehearsal in Utah.

According to Hatch, “The founding body was made up of a strong mix of local music educators and business professionals who believed Utah deserved its own drum corps.” The organization is aiming to field 105 to 115 members in its first year of competition. Catering to the corps’ recruiting base, The Battalion will not compete on Sundays in order to allow corps members to take part in community outreach and service projects. “In the short term, we hope to build a corps that serves our community and represents it well to the world,” Hatch said. “In the long term, we aim to build an organization that has staying power and continues to provide world-class learning and performance experiences for our members, and meaningful, impactful shows for fans.” 2016 Tour Stops July 1, Auburn, WA July 2, Tigard, OR July 5, Tri Cities, WA July 6, Boise, ID July 7, Ogden, UT