CHEER DANCE OR CHEERLEADING

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
1. Define cheer dancing and its benefits;
2. Distinguish the elements of a choreographed cheer dance;
3. Classify the cheer dance positions and its technique;
4. Integrate safety practices in a cheer dance performance; and
5. Perform the basic positions of cheer dancing.

INTRODUCTION
Cheer dancing or cheerleading is a team activity that involves the elements of dancing,
shouting slogans, stunting, and tumbling solely dedicated to entertaining and motivating the
crowd during sports events, including to motivate the players.
Cheerleader who typically shakes pompoms, loudly shouting at the top of her lungs and
cheering for the team in the hopes of winning the game – not competing against an opponent,
thus, not considered a sport (Darnell, 2012). The leading dancer is called a cheerleader.
Cheer dance requires flexibility, strength, agility, and other components of fitness, including
courage and trust among the members and spotters in performing various difficult stunts.
In cheer dance, it usually requires 15 to 20 participants or squad members who have a
background in basic skills, positions, and stunts in gymnastics, including tumbling and other
acrobatic skills. The dance is basically choreographed for up to 5 minutes only because of its
rigorous routines. The costume is either a skirt or a pair of pants with the team’s color
depending on the preference of the dancers, as long as the group or squad agrees; and it
should also take into account dancing routines that do not affect overall performance of each
individual or the group as a whole.
In America, cheerleading has remained an iconic national pastime activity since it symbolizes
school spirit, leadership, and youthfulness, which is the reason that it is usually considered the
heart of modern cheerleading in the southern United States, including Texas (Grindstaff, 2015).
Cheerleading Positions
As a member of the cheerleading team, you need to know which role is best suited for
you.
1. Base. Bases are known as the primary support of pyramiding and the support of
pyramiding and the foundation of all stunts. The absence of base in a cheer dance is
impossible. Generally, base dancers are the taller and stronger members of the team
because they are the ones who will lift the flyers up. As a base, it is important to have
good techniques in the use of both legs and arms with correct positioning. Base dancers
must not only depend on their leg strength but they should strongly push off the ground
with their straightened legs, considering the form.

2. Spotter. Spotter, also known as back spot, is one of the important roles or positions in
cheerleading, extremely similar to base dancers, which is not an easy task. A good
spotter should exert maximum strength in lifting the flyer so that the bases will not be
carrying the entire weight of the flyer. Ninemire (2019) identified that a spotter should
always be in contact with the performing flyers and be alert or attentive, fast-thinking,
aggressive, and preferably a tall person, usually placed at the back of the stunt to assist
the base, secure, and catch the flyer when he dismounts or falls to prevent serious
injury. In the case of flaws, if the flyer unexpectedly falls, the spotter is responsible for
catching the head and neck first.

3. Flyer. The flyers are the face of cheer dance routines and stunts who are usually smaller
and lighter, with an optimum level of agility and flexibility because a flyer is a person who
gets lifted or thrown into the air during the entire routine. They are the center of attention
in cheerleading who perform flips and twists in the air, but a flyer cannot perfectly
execute the routine without a strong base and an attentive spotter. Flyer is one of the
most difficult positions in cheerleading because it is extremely exhilarating to be lifted
and thrown in the air.

Foremost, a flyer needs skills ang abilities, and attitude, including the full trust among
teammates to move swiftly with confidence and land safely. Flyers must be fearless of
heights and must believe that bases are strong, and spotters will catch flyers at all costs.
They must have complete body control and be fully aware of their own weight. Certain
movements, such as the scorpion, heel stretch, and scaling, necessitate unique qualities
from flyers.

Techniques in Cheer Dancing

You can BEAT some flaws and mistakes in performing cheer dance. Here are
some appropriate tips, techniques, and practices that can ensure your stunt goes
smoothly and help you stay as stiff as you can for maximum impact.

1. Balance. Locate your own center and establish equilibrium for a stronger foundation.
2. Eye Contact. Maintain constant eye to eye contact with audience while performing
the routines to establish connections.
3. Arms. Utilize both arms to carry your bodyweight by extending them upward to
prevent falls and promote balance.
4. Tight. Keep firm with your feet close together and attempt to create your body as
one unit as much as possible to avoid falls.

Cheerleading Stunts
1. Individual Stunts – stunts performed by only one person. A performer executes an
individual routine pattern.
2. Dual Stunts – stunts performed by two people. It involves two individuals performing
in a routine. One may serve as a spotter to another, one for support to avoid sudden
accident or injury.
3. Group Stunts – stunts performed by more than two persons executing routines or
pyramids.
Here are the simple yet equally important basic cheerleading stunts you need to learn.
Motion is the very basic move in cheer dance through simple arm movements. It is
necessary to perform the correct actions and techniques. Arm motions are the
foundation of all cheerleading moves. These can be notice in stunts, dance, jumps, and
tumbling, which are the foundations of cheerleading. Whether you are a novice or a
professional cheerleader, you must have strong arm motions to be effective.

A. Beginning Stance
Stand up straight with your shoulders back,
keep your head up and face forward. Your
legs should be together with your feet facing
forward. Your arms can either be straight and
against your sides (with your palms in) or you
can fist your hands place them on your hips.

B. Cheer Stance: Arm at Side

Stand up straight with your shoulders back,
keep your head up and face forward. Your legs
should be together with your feet facing forward.
Your arms can neither be straight and against your
sides (with your palms in) or you can fist your hands
place them in your hips.
 C. Clap
A clap is very similar to the clasp,
however, this time the hands are in blades.
Claps are nor very loud and should be used more for
stylistic purposes rather than for sound.
Claps can also be performed in an overhead
variation.

D. Clasp
Cheerleaders perform the clasp as they
clap. Begin with your arms along your sides with
an elbow bent, hands together, and clap. It is
necessary to keep in mind that, from the side, the
arms are raised directly in front of the body.
Ensure that your clasp is in front of your face and
that your elbows are close together. Overhead
clasp is done with arms straight, above the head in
a clasp and slightly in front of the face.

E. Overhead Clasp
Arms are straight, above the head in a
clasp and slightly in front of the face.

F. Low Clasp
From the clasp position, extend your arms straight
down (similar to a low touchdown) and bring them in tight with
your body. Arms should be in line with, but pulled slightly in
front of the legs. Your thumbs will be facing out in front of you,
and your fingers will be facing in toward your body.

G. High “V”
A high “V” is executed by lifting the arms up to
mimic the letter “V”. Straight arms should be held out in
front of the body a little bit with the fingers facing away
from the body, and hands should be tightly curled up.

H. Low “V”
Low “V”, both arms extended down at about a
45-degree angle. Hands should be in tight fists, wrists
straight, with big circles facing the front. The motion
should be slightly in front of the body.
 I.Touchdown
In a touchdown motion, your arms should
be straight up above one head and the biceps
should touch the ears. The hands should be in tight
fists with the tips of the fingertips facing each other.

J. Low Touchdown
This motion hos both arms straight down
with your fists facing in.

K. Bow and Arrow

Start with your arms in a “T”
motion and then bend one arm in at
the elbow. For a Right Bow and
Arrow, your right arm is straight and
for a Left bow and Arrow, our left is
out straight.

L. Dagger
Bend your elbows and bring your arms in tight to
your body. Your elbows should be pulled in and pointed
down, and your hands should be just below your chin.
Keep your hands in fists, with your fingers facing in and
your knuckles facing out. Your thumbs will be toward your
body, and your pinkies will be away from your body.

M. Punch
Extend one arm straight up (into the
Touchdown position). The other arm is
resting on the hip, with the hand in the fist.
That elbow should be pointing to your side.
The punch can be done as a right punch or
left punch. The arm in the Touchdown
position determines which move it is (if the
right arm is in a Touchdown, it is a right
punch.
TIPS

Sharp Moves. Your muscles should be right and your arms should be stiff when you are hitting
your motions. A loose arm will make the motion sloppy. Don’t just put your arms into position,
snap them into position!

Straight Lines. All of your lines should be straight, and this includes making sure your wrists
don’t bend. Keep your wrists tight too, make sure they are aligned with your arms.

Thumbs Up. Never tuck your thumbs inside your fist. Instead, lay them across your fingers on
the outside of the fist.

Spot on. Through practice, you will gain muscle memory and know exactly where you need a hit
to a motion. While you are learning, remember that your arms should never be behind you. Always
keep them slightly in front of you when performing a motion.

No shrugs. Your shoulders should be low and relaxed and your neck should be extended. Do
not shrug your shoulders up.

The Shortest Distance. Instead of bringing your arms all the way out and around to hit a motion,
practice bringing them forward then up in one swift, fast move.

Get your arms ready for motions by using these arm strengthening exercises in your fitness
routine.

N. T-Motion
Raising arms towards the side of the body to
resemble the letter “T”. Arms must be straight and
slightly in front of the body. The hands should be
formed into tight fists with the fingertips facing the
ground.

O. Broken-T
Extend your arms form your shoulders so that
they are parallel with the ground. Keep your hands in
fists with your thumbs facing out and your pinkies
facing back.

P. Diagonal
One arm is extended in a High V motion, and one
arm is in a Low V motion. This motion can be done as a
‘right’ or ‘left’ motion. The arm that is in the High V position
determines which motion it is (when the right arm is in a
High V, it is a Right Diagonal.
 Q. K
Extend one arm into a High V motion, while
the other arm holds a Low V position but is crossed
over your body. This motion can be done as a
‘right’ or ‘left’ motion. The arm that is in the High V
position determines which motion it is (when the
right arm is in a High V, it is a Right K).

R. Jump
In straddle jump, it is performed
with both hands in fists or blades, knees
should be pointing up and backward, and legs
should be straight and parallel to the ground.

S. Handstand
A well-executed handstand forms a
vertically inverted standing body, and the hands
are placed on the floor to support the body’s
stability. The arms are shoulder-width apart, and
the head is tucked inward, with the chin positioned
close to the chest.

T. Pike
Do a pike position by sitting with both legs
extended straight out forward. Bend your hips and
lean forward. Pikes can be made to varying degrees
based on the extent to which the performer holds
himself in half at the hips.

U. Split
A split is a body position in which the legs are
extended in a line. Mastery of doing splits will help you
perform other skills such as split leaps, jumps, and
switch leaps. The more expert you are at performing
splits on the ground, the more you can easily execute
splits in between tumbling or stunts. You can develop
split skills by practicing sitting and reaching or
spreading your legs every day for flexibility
enhancement.

TYPES OF SPLIT

1. Half Split – Lower your right or left knee and release or stretch the other leg on the
ground in performing a half split.
2. Straddle Split – also known as a side split, is performed by extending your legs on
the floor and facing forward.
3. Side Split – the performer extends his legs sideways at a 180-degree angle.
4. Front Split – this is performed by extending one leg in front and the other in back. In
front split, the legs are in line; one leg extends towards the front, the other leg is
towards the back. The hips are in a neutral position. The key to performing split relies
on stretching more often than stretching for a long time.

Activity No. 1: DO IT YOURSELF (DIY)

Directions: Execute some of the cheer dance positions. Take a picture and attach it
below in a collage form with a short description specifying the correct execution of body
parts.

Attach your picture here:

Activity No. 2: Dear Diary

Directions: Write your personal experiences and thoughts about cheer dancing and
elaborate on how the learned knowledge you have gained from the class contributes to
your safety and life.