PE 10 Unit 4 : Other Dance Forms (Cheer dance and Contemporary Dance)

Cheerdance is coined from the words, cheer and dance. To cheer is to shout out words or phrases
that may help motivate and boost the morale of a playing team and perform better during a game. Dance, on
the other hand, is a physical activity where one expresses emotions or gestures while performing bodily
movements usually in time with rhythm. Cheerdancing rooted from cheerleading. Cheerleading is the
performance of a routine, usually dominated by gymnastic skills such as jumps, tumbling skills, lifts and tosses
combined with shouting of cheers and yells to lead the crowd to cheer for a certain team during a game or
sport. It originated in the United States. Due to Filipinos’ love for dancing, they added more dance routines to
their cheers and came up with the term cheerdance wherein it is a routine composed of yells and cheers,
gymnastic skills (pyramids and tosses, stunts, tumbling skills, arm and hand positions and jumps), and dance
(fusion of different dance genres). Today, cheerdancing is identified as one of the most spectacular events in
one of the biggest collegiate sports events in the country, the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the
Philippines).

DANCE AND ITS ELEMENTS

Dance - a profound solitary artistic and creative endeavor that requires introspection, philosophical analysis
and complex conceptualization.

I. Classifications Of Dance
A. Interpretative Dance Dances that are meant to be interpreted for performances and staging. Dance
literatures and signature basic steps are already inherent to these dances which serve as identifying steps
to the dance. Such dances include folk dance, ballroom dance, and ballet.

B. Creative Dance Dances that are created out of two approaches, the elemental approach and creative
approach. These dances are highly improvisational in nature considering the different elements
necessary in the creation of dance. Dances that fall under this classification include modern-
contemporary dance, jazz, pop and hip-hop (b-boying).

II. Elemental Approach in the Creation of Dance

A. Elements of Dance:
1. Space
a. Floor Pattern - Patterns created by the body as it moves through space examples of which include
lines, letters, shapes or polygons, and other non-geometric patterns.

b. Direction - The course or way in which movement is directed with reference to the frontal plane of
the body. Examples include forward, backward, sideward, diagonally sideward and upward.

c. Focus - Point of attention by either the performer or the audience. It may be a personal focus or
general focus. Personal focus is the point of attention by the performer while performing, while
general focus is the point of attention that the performer draws the audience to.

d. Dimension - How performers appear with reference to the audience’s view. The nearer the
performer, the bigger he would appear; the farther the performer, the smaller he would appear.
Dimension has something to do with perspective.

e. Balance - It may be static or dynamic in nature. Static balance is balance at rest, while dynamic
balance is balance in motion.

f. Levels - They are classified as low, middle and high with the lowest level the basis of middle and high
levels.

g. Mass and Volume - This is dictated by the number of bodies performing through space. There are
dances or parts of the dance performance that require more dancers while some require less or few.

h. Contours and Shapes - Shapes and forms created by the body or bodies as they move through space.

2. Time
Dance is both a space and time art because it makes use of space and spends time as movements are
executed. Once time passes and movements are executed, it may or may not be the same when done
again. That’s why live performances of dances are preferred to maximize its artistic and aesthetic
values, which are put on full display when performed live. Time in dance dictates and determines its
speed or length, its mood, and the energy required in its performance. Time in dance is represented
by music specifically, and is predominantly influenced by rhythm, tempo, dynamics and melody.
Rhythm guides the movement count, tempo dictates the speed of movement, and dynamics and
melody speak of the mood of movement.

3. Energy Pertains to the amount of effort exerted in the performance of dance or dance movements
and combinations. Energy in dance makes the difference in terms of the intensity of movement. Two
dancers might be executing same movement, but differ in the manner of execution and level of energy
exerted.

B. With reference to the amount of energy used in the performance of movement:

1. pendular: swinging, swaying
2. percussive: strong, big, abrupt, and striking movements
3. vibratory: series of rapid and quickly executed small percussive movements
4. sustained: movement with no preparation, beginning, and unnoticeable end

C. With reference to the application of energy in the performance of movement:

1. Locomotor Movement -- allows one to move from one point to another
a. Walk Series of steps executed by both of your feet alternately in any direction. In executing
a walk, observe that there is this moment when both feet are in contact with the ground while
one foot supports the weight and transfers it to the other.

b. Run Series of walks executed quickly in any direction wherein only one foot stays on the
ground while the other is off the ground.

c. Jump This movement is simply described by having both feet lose contact with the ground.
There are five ways to do it:
• Take off from one foot and land on the same;
• Take off from one foot and land on the other;
• Take off from one foot and land on both feet;
• Take off from both feet and land on one foot; and
• Take off from both feet and land on both.

2. Non-Locomotor Movement These are movements that are performed in one point in space without
transferring to another point. They do not allow you to move from one place to the other. These
movements include:
a. Flexion It is the act of decreasing the angle of a joint. Another term for flexion is to bend. If
you bend a joint, like your elbow or knee, you are performing flexion.

b. Extension This is the opposite of flexion. You are extending if you are increasing the angle
of a joint. Stretching is another word for extension.

c. Contraction A muscle movement done when it shortens, narrows and tightens using
sufficient amount of energy in the execution.

d. Release A muscle movement opposite to contraction done when it lets go or lets loose from
being held.

e. Collapse To deliberately drop the exertion of energy in a body segment.

f. Recover The opposite of collapse. This is to regain the energy exerted in a body segment.

g. Rotation To rotate is to move a body segment to form a circle. It is not only limited to
circumduction which is done in ball and socket joints. Rotation can also be done in the neck,
wrists, waist, knees and ankles.

h. Twist To move a body segment from an axis halfway front or back or quarter to the right or
left as in the twisting of the neck allowing the head to face right or left and the like.

i. Pivot To change the position of the feet or any body part that carries the body’s weight
allowing the body to face in a less than 360 degrees turn.
 j. Turn To move in a turning movement with a base of support, usually a pointed foot, the
other raised, while equilibrium is maintained until the completion of the turn.

III. Improvisation
The art of creating movements that the body is not familiar with. It is exploring potential movements which
can later be refined and transformed into dance movements. This process is the key to combining the
different elements discussed to create a masterpiece. Improvisation is the act of improvising and which means
creating something new, something different and something unusual and non-habitual.

*Terms
Ball Change - move that consists of a change of weight between both feet. Body weight is transferred on the ball
of one foot (usually placed behind), followed by a step on the other foot.

Base [beys] In acrobatic gymnastics, the role of the pair and group competition that requires strength and
balance. The base is usually an older or larger athlete.

Battement [bat-manh] Beating. A beating action of the extended or bent leg. There are two types of
bettements, grand battements and petite battements. Big and small kicks respectively with the knees straight
and toes pointing

Cartwheel [kart-whil] Cartwheel is a sideways rotary movement of the body. It is performed by bringing the
hands to the floor one at a time while the body inverts. When both hands are on the floor, the legs travel over
the body and feet return to the floor one at a time, ending with the performer standing upright.

Chant [chant] A short cheer, with simple arm movements. A short repeated yell usually done on the sidelines.

Chaīnēs [sheh-nay] Chains, links. This is an abbreviation of the term “tours chainēs dēboulēs,” a series of
rapid turns on the points or demi-pointes done in a straight line or in a circle.

Chassē [sha-sey] Chassē is a kind of gallop where one foot is leading being chased by the other. Its step pattern
is step, close, step and its counting is one and two.

Cheers [chirs] A longer yell, that involves motions, pompoms, stunts, jumps, or tumbling.

Curls To make curling motion by the hands ending up with a point by the fingers. A basic in b-boying or
breakdancing.

Dismount [dis-mawnt] The act of getting off an apparatus and the skill used to do it. It can also be used to
refer to the flyer’s act of getting down from a position done when lifted by bases in a pyramid.

Down Rock (Bounce) To make bouncy movement from the knees with an accent on the upward movement
during the extension of the knees.

Flier/Flyer/Floater The person that is elevated into the air by the bases or the person on top of the pyramid or
stunt.

Freeze To stop suddenly from a movement. The act of freezing.

Handstand [hend-is-tǣnd]
Handstand is to stand straight up with a tight body and hands on floor.

Hurkie/Herkie/Herky/ Hurky
A cheerleading jump where one leg (usually your weakest) is bent towards the ground and your other leg
(usually your strongest) is out to the side as high as it will go in the toe touch position. This jump is very similar
to the Side Hurdler except for the position of the bent leg. There are right Herkies and left Herkies. In a right
Herkie your right leg is straight with your left leg bent and the opposite is true for a left Herkie. Sometimes
called a hurkie. Named after Lawrence “Herkie” Herkimer.

Lock To make an isolated movement by a specific body part without letting its adjacent body segments move.
Pirouette [peer-wet] Whirl or spin. A complete turn of the body on one foot, on point or demi-pointe.
Pirouettes are performed en dedans, turning inward toward the supporting leg, or en dehors, turning outward
in the direction of the raised leg.

Piquē [pee-kay] Pricked, pricking. Executed by stepping directly on the point or demi-pointe of the working
foot in any desired direction or position with the other foot raised in the air.

Pliē [plee-ay] Bent, bending. A bending of the knee or knees. This is an exercise to render the joints and
muscles soft and pliable and the tendons flexible and elastic, and develop a sense of balance. There are two
types of pliēs: grand pliē or full bending of the knees (knees should be bent until thighs are horizontal and
heels are raised) and demi-pliē or half bending of the knees without raising the heels. Pliēs are done at the bar
and is the center in all five positions of the feet with the weight of the body equally distributed on both feet.

Pyramids [pi-rah-mids] Multiple mounts or a group of stunts next to one another.

Relevē [ruhl-vay] Raised. A raising of the body on the points or demipointes, point or demi-pointe. There are
two ways to relevē. In the French School, relevē is done with smooth, continuous rise while the Ceccheti
Method and the Russian School use a little spring. Relevē may be done in the first, second, fourth and fifth
positions.

Roll [rol] A roll is a rotation over an axis of the body over a surface. It can be done forward and backward in
different ways.

Roundoff A basic beginner tumbling skill. Once perfected it is used as a setup for combination tumbling skills
(back handsprings etc.

Routine [ro-tin] A continuous show of talent in the squad by use of cheers, chants and dance steps. Can last
from 2 min. 30 sec. up to 4 min. depending on the time limits of the competition or showcase.

Spotter [is-pah-ter] A person that stays in contact with the performing surface and watches for any hazards in
the stunt or mount. The spotter is responsible for watching the flyer and be prepared to catch her if she falls.

Somersault [somer-solt] A gymnastics maneuver in which a person rotates around the somersault axis, moving
the feet over the head. It can also be referred to as salto which may be done forward or backward.

Tendu [ton-dū] Point or pointing. To point the toes in any of the five feet positions. It is an exercise that
develops elasticity of the tendons and ligaments of the ankles and toes.

Top Rock (Groove) To make bouncy motion from the waist to the chest in time with a hip hop beat.
Toe Touch One of the most widely used jumps in cheerleading. A jump where your arms are in a “T” motion
and your legs split to the sides, toes pointed with your knees up or pointed back. Hands do not touch the toes,
as the name implies, but instead your hands try to reach to the insides of your ankles. You should keep your
back straight, your head up, and rotate your hips to perfect this jump.

Tuck [tak] You jump with your knees to your chest. Can be used as a jump or for flipping.

Tumbling [tamb-ling] The acrobatic skills performed on floor exercise and balance beam, such as back
handsprings and saltos. Also, a specific discipline of gymnastics, performed on a 25-meter-long dynamic track,
in which participants perform tumbling skills.

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