Cheerleading Dances

Nothing makes a game more fun to watch than a great cheerleading dance at halftime. However, a dance must be choreographed well, have great presentation and be crisp and clean with all the cheerleaders moving at the same time. Otherwise, it's more of a disaster than a crowd pleaser! Cheerleading dances are also a major element in competitions and so no doubt, your squad will spend hours perfecting dance routines.

Teaching Cheerleading Dance Routines

How do you go from having no dance moves as a squad to being a crowd favorite? Practice, practice, and more practice. However, there are tricks to teaching dance routines that do help make practice go better.

Step One: Demonstrate the Cheerleading Dance

The easiest way to teach a new routine is with two coaches. One coach should actually be demonstrating the cheerleading dance. (Often, this is the captain of the squad.) The other coach should 'talk' the girls through the routine. The "dancing" coach should first perform the routine with the music facing the squad while the squad is watching. However, the dance will get broken down into eight counts and at that point the "dancing" coach should perform the dance, with the girls facing the same way that they are facing while the choreographing coach is watching the girls and helping them get the moves.

Step Two: Teaching Eight Counts

When you're working on a dance, it should always be broken up into eight counts. Teaching a dance requires that you practice in those eight counts. If there's a move that is particularly tricky, break the eight count into four counts. Repeat each eight count until the team, as a whole, has it. Think of this as a safety issue. Routines require precision choreography or cheerleaders will start running into each other. Precision choreography requires that each squad member learn the routine exactly. So make sure the squad has the eight count down before moving on.

• Tip: Start by teaching the eight counts very slowly. Each count should have one move assigned to it. When all the cheerleaders have the eight count down slowly, keep practicing it until the eight count is sped up to the temp of the music.

Step Three: Review and Practice

Teach all eight counts in the same manner: start out slowly and then gradually speed up. Once you've learned about twenty four counts of the cheerleading dance, try dancing just that much to the music.

Continue teaching each eight count in such a manner until the whole dance is learned. Once the whole dance is learned, it's time to polish the routine!

Polishing the Routine

A polished routine is where all the cheerleaders move exactly as they're supposed to on every single count. Movements are sharp and clean, not sloppy. Believe it or not, it is much easier to polish a routine as you go than it is to polish it as a whole. Cheerleaders who practice wrong body posture or positioning will repeat wrong body posture or positioning in the dance.

Common Mistakes

Make sure you’re looking for these common mistakes while working on a new dance routine:

• Bent or loose bodies make the routine look sloppy.
• Improper arm, hand or foot positioning - remember that a cheerleading dance is a precision routine. Lack of precision is a safety issue!
• Size of movements should all be the same Everyone should be kicking to the same height, jumping to the same height, leaning at the same angle. Taking the time to practice this will pay big dividends in the final presentation.
• Hitting moves on the right count Look for girls that are hitting the moves too early or too late. This is especially important if your routine includes stunts.
• Uneven formations This is important not only for the overall look of your routine but also for the safety of your cheerleaders.

Last Minute Pointers

Here are just a few more miscellaneous tips to keep in mind while you’re working on a routine.

• Change lines often so all the girls get a chance to dance in front.
• Practice in small groups. This helps the cheerleaders analyze the dance and provide constructive criticism.
• When you think you’re done with a routine, videotape the completed dance. Go back over the video tape with your squad and fix any mistakes that you see..

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