027 Brandon Mackey - How to Build a Routine That Works on Any Score Sheet

Can one routine succeed on two different score sheets?In this episode, international choreographer Brandon Mackey joins Judge Mimi to talk about building routines around the world and adapting choreography for different athletes, cultures and scoring systems.Brandon shares his journey from Newfoundland to winning Worlds and becoming a full-time choreographer. Together, he and Mimi break down routines from Australia and Canada, explore the differences between comparative and rubric-based scoring, and discuss how teams can strategically adjust a routine when competing in both Canada and the United States... without rebuilding everything from scratch.They also talk about creating fast-paced routines without sacrificing execution, using the entire floor, building choreography around a team’s natural strengths and developing the trust between coaches and choreographers that allows the best ideas to come to life.Plus, Mimi reviews Ocala Athletics Code Red and Brandon shares his advice for anyone hoping to follow in his footsteps: defeat your own impossible and find the style that is uniquely yours.TakeawaysCompetitiveness drives successTransitioning between locations presents challengesRoutine composition and creativity are key to success Reverse engineering choreographyStrategic adjustments for different competition score systemsChapters00:00 Journey into Cheerleading01:59 Transitioning to Ontario03:39 Coaching and Choreography05:19 Global Nature of Work09:58 Routine Composition and Creativity19:04 Creating Visionary Choreography22:14 Navigating Competition Score Systems26:59 Nurturing Relationships and Philosophy31:40 Strategic Routine Adjustments36:58 Defeating the Impossible38:14 Looking Ahead to the Season