Cheerleading Choreography Is An Advanced Specialty
Cheerleading choreography has become a respectable, specialized branch of dance choreography. Just as cheerleading is a fairly new sport with a growing number of participants and spectators drawn to the excitement of cheer competitions, so cheer choreography is a relatively new specialty. Choreography is core to successful cheerleading and absolutely vital if a team is to make the grade at regional and national competitions. There are many different types of cheer choreographers. There are former cheerleaders who have a shrewd idea of what is required. These are essentially amateurs who have a flair for choreography. Then there are cheer choreographers who come to the art by way of other disciplines, whether it is dance choreography, gymnastic and athletics coaching or even cadet training. Finally there are those who have years of experience coaching and choreographing cheer squads and who now have cheerleading choreography as their full-time occupation. There are several such cheer choreographers engaged in businesses such as Cheerleading-Choreography.com.
Before explaining exactly why it is that any cheer team with competitive ambitions needs proper cheer choreography, a bit of background about the sport would be useful. Prior to the year 2000 cheerleading was used largely as a way for pretty girls to rouse team spirit at sports games and pep rallies. It was definitely something that happened on the side of the field, not in the full glare of the spotlights. Cheerleading had its origins in the 1880’s, oddly enough male college students who led the supporters of sports teams in chants. Legend has it that this first started at Princeton University, at football games. The “founding father” of more structured cheerleading (long before there was such a thing as cheerleading choreography) was a student at the University of Minnesota named Johnny Campbell, who got so excited at a game that he started jumping around, leading the crowd in their singing. It was only in the 1920’s, not coincidentally during the era of women’s emancipation, that women started cheerleading. By the 1940’s cheerleading was mainly a female activity.
The first person who saw that cheerleaders needed help, including some rudimentary form of cheer choreography, was a man called Lawrence Herkimer. In 1948 he organized the first cheerleading clinic ever held in the United States (and the world). Altogether 52 girls attended the clinic under the auspices of a newly-formed association called the National Cheerleading Association. The following year, in 1949, over 300 girls attended the clinic. The 1950’s were an important time for cheerleading, although cheer choreography was not a formal consideration. By the end of the 50’s most schools and colleges in America had their own cheerleading squads, and in the 1960’s the competitive spirit between these schools and colleges was roused and cheer competitions began. Although coaches started to pay more attention to the cheerleaders’ moves, they were a far way from instilling any sort of cheerleading choreography or similar discipline in team members. Cheerleading still consisted of simple moves and lots of spontaneous jumping about without much co-ordination between the cheerleaders. The Baltimore Colts cheerleading squad introduced a new level of cheerleading, but it was the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders who introduced the first proper cheerleading choreography. This squad became known for its “pom-pom Broadway-style dance”. By the 1980’s the element of dance and properly coordinated routines emerged. As the competition grew hotter, so elements of other disciplines were introduced, with tumbling, pyramids and gymnastic tricks all incorporated in cheerleading performances.
Until the end of the twentieth century squads could get by just improving the skills of the individuals and injecting a large measure of energy and variation into routines. With the introduction of the All Star division in 2003 (for squads who have no affiliation with any particular college or school) the competitive goalposts moved. Suddenly it was not enough for a team to be athletic and talented. A high level of skills was required still, as well as flawless execution, but teams also found they needed something extra if they were to succeed in top-level competitions. Today the total package of perfect squad skills, perfect execution and hot choreography – unique and scintillating – is required. Without this all-important ingredient, squads do not factor at competitions. Squad coaches use all their time and energy to coach the team. The actual cheer choreography they leave to the specialists, with hugely beneficial results. One coach in a hundred might have the necessary cheerleading choreography knowledge, but the majority put this task in the hands of those who know best – professional cheer choreographers.
Tags: cheerleading choreography | cheer choreography | choreography
August 27th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
cheerleading is a huge sport in the midwest they can fling those little girls up really high!
September 30th, 2008 at 12:51 am
Yes, Cheerleading is good for increasing flexibility in the body. Also I’ve heard of lots of male Cheerleaders going into golf and they are usually really good because they are very fit and flexible. It as though they have their golf fitness training done already!
October 27th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Being a beginner golfer, I always love to try new things out but I’d be a bit uncomfortable going through cheerleader tryouts. I think I’ll stick to tutoring kids who want to learn to play golf.