Anatomy Of A Cheer Dance Routine

Cheer dance is the most common routine performed during sports events or competitions to deliver entertainment to the audience. However, practicing the basic cheer dance routines and performing them in perfect synchronization requires a great level of hard work and detail that utilizes both skill and determination. 

To learn exactly how each routine is choreographed and how each step contribute to an entertaining whole, read about each aspect of the routine below. 

Pre-Routine Preparations

When performing cheer dance for a competition, you need to focus on the criteria that the judges are looking for, as well as getting the audience involved. Some of the most basic technical areas to consider include techniques, dance moves, skill level, consistency, synchronization, and creativity. 

However, a cheer dance routine consists more than just the dancing elements since it also combines cheer or chants, tumbling, stunts, and pyramids. It is therefore important to properly plan each routine, practice them thoroughly, and have self-discipline to ensure that each aspect of the routine are executed precisely. 

Beginning 

At the start, the energy level of the members are still high so you can expect a lot of high energy movements and dance routines. This is where you'd often witness a lot of basic stunts and tumbling. If you are coming up with a cheerdancing routine, this is where you need to choreograph the tumbling elements. You must also assign your best stunt performers and tumblers in the front for a clean execution. And since this is just the introduction to the entire routine, high intensity performance right off the bat is also a great way to capture the audience's attention. 

Middle 

Once you have grabbed the audience's attention, it is now time to move into the 'gist' of your performance – the cheers and dance. If you can, minimize or totally avoid doing stunts here, or else it will become overkill. You need to showcase variety into your cheer dance routine and here is when you can do that. You can even use the beginning part of the routine as a transitionary period so you can get the dancers into their dancing positions. Avoid dancing as a full squad, instead you can divide them into small pockets for more coordination and to make the entire routine aesthetically pleasing. 

End

Just as important as the start is how you end your routine. Hence, you must aim to make an impression on the judges and the audience. From performing in small pockets, you can let your squad performance as full team to make it visually impressive. However, settle for crisp yet manageable dance routines that creates an impact. You can also incorporate easy pyramid formation for the last time here. 

Tips For More Coordination 

In most cases, cheer dance routines are well planned and the dance moves or stunts are well choreographed but it could still turn disastrous if not executed properly. Hence, you must not aim solely for a creative routine, but a polished one. Use proper counting system for sharp movements and synchronization. 

Take note of even the tiniest details as foot positioning, jumps, kicks, arm extensions, angles, and the like, to create more impression. And finally, time your routines properly and limit each dance move or stunt to no more than two minutes at one time for smooth transition. 

But the most important tip to remember when performing cheer dance routines is to learn to have fun. Never forget to smile and always perform with confidence!
