During DCI's annual winter business meetings on Friday in Atlanta, DCI Executive Director Dan Acheson announced that Austin, Texas-based Genesis has been approved as a World Class corps effective with the 2017 season.

Founded in 2009, the corps joined the DCI Tour in 2010, earning a spot as an Open Class finalist in its very first trip to the DCI World Championships. Genesis was named the “Most Improved Open Class” corps in 2011 and 2013, twice finishing as a bronze medalist at the DCI World Championship Finals.

Genesis was co-founded by Executive Director Chris Magonigal, who is a former member of the Sky Ryders and Madison Scouts. He was introduced to the drum corps activity when he turned on the television in 1989 just as Santa Clara Vanguard was about to step off during a television broadcast of the World Championships on PBS.

With seven seasons operating a successful Open Class organization, Magonigal says that becoming a World Class unit will not change much in terms of how the drum corps operates on the football field.

“One of our mottos has been that World Class is a state of mind,” Magonigal said. “So going into the World Class mindset, we're not changing much on our end competitively or programmatically. Really it comes down to getting started and providing a great opportunity for our kids.”


Genesis Competitive Highlights
• 2011 Open Class Most Improved Corps Award
• 2013 Open Class Bronze Medalist
• 2013 Open Class Most Improved Corps Award
• 2014 Open Class Bronze Medalist
• 2013-16 World Class Semifinalist

The decision to accept the corps into the World Class is the culmination of an evaluation process involving an intensive review of corps operations and an ongoing dialogue between corps administration and the DCI Board of Directors. As a World Class corps, Genesis will have access to an expanded schedule of DCI Tour events including regional championship shows.  

View Genesis' 2017 tour schedule.

“We are very pleased to welcome Genesis into the ranks of DCI's World Class and to support the corps and its management in this next step in the evolution of their organization," DCI Executive Director Dan Acheson said.
 
Genesis is the first corps to make the jump from Open to World Class since Oregon Crusaders in 2013.