All About Cheer Dance

• Cheer dance, also known as cheerleading, is a type of grouped dance to motivate, support, entertain, or compete
• Cheer dance groups include male and female dancers performing formations and acrobatics
• Cheer dancers, often called "boosters," lead crowds with chants, yells, and creative movements
• Cheer dance involves precise and breath-taking movements

History of Cheer Dance

• Cheerleading began in the 1860s in Great Britain and entered the US in the 1880s
• Cheerleading was started by men, though dominated by woman now
• In 1884, Princeton University conceived the idea of crowd chanting at football games
• In 1898, U-Minnesota student Johnny Campbell led an organized cheer and is considered the first "cheer leader"
• The first cheer fraternity, Gamma Sigma, was formed in 1903 at the University of Minnesota
• Women became involved in cheerleading in the 1920s wearing ankle-length skirts and varsity sweaters
• In the 1930s, paper pom-poms were introduced and by the 1940s women led cheers with increasingly complex routines

Elements of Cheer Dance

• Cheer dance performances are structured and scored in competitions
• Proper efficient movements are essential for high scores and to avoid deductions
• Yells/Chants: Performers use pride and confidence, encouraging spectators to cheer along
  • Yells and chants are to bring a message to competitors, using the diaphragm instead of the throat

Basic Hand-Body Motions

• Beginning Stance: Feet together, hands down by the side in blades
• Cheer Stance: Feet more than shoulder width apart, hands down by the side in blade
• Clasp: Hands clasped at the chin, elbows in
• Clap: Hands in blades, at the chin, elbows in
• High V: Arms extended up forming a “V”, relax the shoulders
• Low V: Arms extended down forming a "V"
• Goalpost (or Touchdown): Arms extended straight and parallel to each other, fist facing in
• Low Touchdown: Arms extended straight down and parallel to each other, fist facing in
• ¾ T (or Bow and Arrow): One arm extended to side with other arm bent at elbow in a half "T" motion
• Overhead Cone: Arms are straight, above the head in a clasp and slightly in front of the face
• Daggers (or Tabletop): Arms bent at elbow, fists in front of shoulders
• Low Cone: Arms extended straight down, in a clasp and slightly in front of the body
• Punch: One arm extended straight up, one arm on hip, in a fist
• L Motion: One arm extended to the side with other arm extended in a punch motion, (Left L shown)
• Diagonal: One arm extended in a high "V" and the other arm extended in a low "V" (Right Diagonal shown)
• T Motion: Both arms extended straight out to the side and parallel to the ground, relax the shoulders
• Half T: Both arms parallel to the ground and bent at the elbows, fists into shoulders
• Side Lunge: Lead leg bent with the knee over the ankle, back leg straight, feet perpendicular to each other
• Front Lunge: Lead leg bent with the knee over the ankle, back leg straight, feet perpendicular to each other

Jumps

• Spread Eagle: Swing and jump with arms forming high “V” and legs apart and knees facing forward
• Tuck Jump: Legs in front while knees are tucked to the chest with a Closed fist, arms spreading forming "T" or "V" figure
• Toe Touch: Legs are straddled, straight and parallel forming “V” with Knees facing the sky, toes pointed, arms form “T”, with a closed fist, and the toes cannot touch the arms

More Jumps

• Pike: Legs are straight, together, and parallel to the ground with toes pointed. Arms should be straight and reaching the front while hands are in a closed fist
• Hurdle: One leg is straight facing forward (front hurdle) or facing outward (side hurdle) with arms forming "T". The other leg is bent, knees facing the ground (front hurdle) or legs facing forward (side hurdle)

Stunts

• Stunts involve flyers (usually female) with bases (male lifters) and spotters, with the execution essential to keep everyone safe
• Bases: Athletes (usually male cheer dancers) holding, lifting, and tossing a flyer up; they must be strong and alert to ensure the flyer lands safely
• Flyers: Athletes are being held, lifted, and tossed into the air to perform stunts, usually female cheer dancers, flexible, and balance efficiently; need to learn techniques first

Tumbles

• Added to add extreme, thrill, and excitement
• Tumble safety to is prevent injury

Types of Tumbling Skills

• Standing: Completing a tumble in a stationary position
• Running: Completing a tumble from a running start
• Cartwheel: Body moves sideways imitating a wheel
  • Start in a lunge
  • Allow upper body to fall down and put hands on the ground
  • Lift the behind leg up to kick
  • Kick foot over the head (the kicking foot should land first)
  • Land in Lunge
• Round off: Similar to cartwheel, landing must be in both feet together

Basic Formations

• Formations play a vital role in cheer dance and are to be creatively formed
• Synchronization must be observed in cheer dance formation
• Bowling Pin
• Diamond
• Diagonal
• Staggered

Cheer dance is a group activity to motivate, support, entertain, or compete. Groups of male and female dancers perform formations and acrobatics. Cheerleaders, known as boosters, use chants, yells, and movements to energize crowds.