L E S S O N 1 : Cheer Dance

Pre–assessment

Let’s find out how much you already know about cheer dance. Take this test, and answer
all the things with kindness. You’ll see your score after you have taken this exam. Take note of
the items you haven’t been able to answer correctly and look for the correct answer as you pass
the lesson.
Directions: Identify the picture below if what type of jump is being asked. Put your answer in the
underline.
1. 2.

3. 4.

5.
O b j e c t i v es

 Identify the different basic routine of Cheer dance.

 Show appreciation in the basic hand movement and position in Cheer dance.
 Perform basic routine of Cheer dance.

Unlocking of Difficulties

To get a better understanding of the lesson, you need to know the words you may encounter
during the discussion.

Words Definitions

Cheer This is to shout out words or phrases that may help

motivate and boost the morale of a playing team and
perform better during a game.

Discussion

Read the knowledge sheet, then decide how much you can recall and how much you learned by
reacting to activities.

Knowledge Sheet

Cheerleading, team practice in which dance and acrobatics components are combined
with yelled slogans to attract fans at sporting events, and to promote louder and more
enthusiastic cheering. Once solely a spectator practice aimed at promoting school athletics,
cheerleading has gained self-recognition as a sport and now exists entirely outside of the school
background. Cheerleading has long been regarded as an iconic American activity that symbolizes
the spirit of school, leadership, youthfulness and sex appeal. The southern United States
(including Texas) is widely considered the heart of modern cheerleading, though the sport is well
known in the United States as well as internationally, having gained a foothold in countries
around the world.

History of Cheerleading
 While cheerleading is mostly synonymous with femininity today, it was men who were
the original cheerleaders. Cheerleading was related to the rise of gridiron football in the mid-
1800 at Ivy League colleges and universities in the United States, and the development and
formalization of cheerleading was similar to that of soccer. In the latter half of the 19th century,
as attendance at college games increased, massive stadiums were built and fans distanced
themselves from the field of play. Cheerleaders or as they were then named, “yell leaders” led
cheers from the sidelines both to inspire fans and to act as a means of crowd control.
By the 1920s cheerleading had become a formal extracurricular activity for boys at high
schools, universities, and communities around the country, similar to but separate from other
spirit activities including marching bands, drum corps, and drill teams. Cheerleaders have been
associated with such character-building qualities as discipline, teamwork, leadership, and
sportsmanship, as ambassadors for their schools and communities.
Females and colored people were excluded from private all-male schools were college
sports and cheerleading first grew, but at the turn of the century many state-supported institutions
started to accept women, opening the way for their inclusion in sporting events.
During the 1920s and ‘30s, women started to join cheer squads as college sports
proliferated and men and women started to socialize more in public. Over the same time a
different cheerleading tradition emerged within black educational institutions, with similar
emphasis on building character and leadership. Overall, however, cheerleading remained an
exclusively white activity, and evidence indicates that it was even “whiter” after disintegration,
as the overall number of black schools declined and black students were rarely elected as
cheerleaders in the newly integrated, predominantly white schools. It was not until the 1960s and
1970s, well after the diversification of scholastic athletic programs, that the cheer squad started
to reflect the ethnic and racial composition of schools. The change was partially the result of
black and Latino student demonstrating.

Cheerdance Basics (Gymnastic Side)

Jumps

TUCK JUMP
A jump in which the cheerleader uses their stomach
muscles to pull the legs up with their thighs as close to
the chest as possible, knees facing upward as if in a
tucked position.
 STAR / SPREAD
EAGLE

You simply prep, swing, and jump with

your arms pin a high V and your legs
spread apart. Just jump off the ground and
it will look like an X. This jump is
generally used to practice group timing
who and snapping legs down from a jump.

PIKE JUMP
This jump is among the most difficult of jumps.
Both legs are straight out, knees locked. Arms
are in a touchdown motion out in front to create
a folded position in the air, this motion is also
called "candlesticks". This is often performed at
a ninety-degree angle to the audience in order
to show off the air position.
 SPLIT JUMP

In cheerleading, perhaps the most common

jump you'll perform is the toe touch, which is
also sometimes called the split jump or
straddle jump. While you don't have to be able
to do the full straddle splits in order to do the
jump, it certainly doesn't hurt. The more
flexible your hips, the wider the split and the
more dramatic the jump will look.

HURDLE JUMP
Named for Lawrence R. Herkimer, the founder
of the National Cheerleaders Association, this
jump is similar to a side-hurdler, except that
instead of both arms being in a "T" shaped
motion, both arms are opposite of what the leg
beneath them is doing. Example of this would be
the straight arm would be on the side of the bent
leg, and the bent arm is on the side of the
straight leg. One other variation of this includes
the bent leg is pointing straight down, instead of
out like the side-hurdler. The jump is speculated to have been invented because Herkie was not
able to do an actual side-hurdler.
 TOE TOUCH JUMP

The most recognizable cheerleading

jump, very similar to what is known
in gymnastics as a 'straddle' jump.
In this jump, the legs are straddled
and straight, parallel to the ground,
toes pointed, knees are pointing
up/backwards, and your hands are
in fists or blades and arms in a "T"
motion. Despite its name, you do
not touch your toes during a toe
touch, you reach out farther in front
of your legs. Keep your back
straight and bring your legs up to
you - the aim is to create a
hyperextension with your hips, and cheerleaders spend lots of time strengthening their hip flexor
muscles and movements to perform this jump well. This is the most common cheer jump.
 Quiz 1

Directions: Read carefully the sentence and analyze the question. Encircle the letter of the
correct answer. No erasures
1. In cheerleading, what type of jump is perhaps the most common jump you'll perform is the
toe touch?
A. Toe Touch Jump C. Hurdle Jump
B. Split Jump D. Star Jump
2. This jump is among the most difficult of jumps. Both legs are straight out, knees locked.
A. Toe Touch Jump C. Hurdle Jump
B. Split Jump D. Pike Jump
3. This is the most recognizable cheerleading jump, very similar to what is known in gymnastics
as a 'straddle' jump.
A. Toe Touch Jump C. Hurdle Jump
B. Split Jump D. Pike Jump
4. This jump is similar to a side-hurdler, except that instead of both arms being in a "T" shaped
motion, both arms are opposite of what the leg beneath them is doing
A. Toe Touch Jump C. Hurdle Jump
B. Split Jump D. Pike Jump
5. When was become a formal extracurricular activity for boys at high schools, universities, and
communities around the country, similar to but separate from other spirit activities including
marching bands, drum corps, and drill teams?
A. 1920 C. 1820
B. 1930 D. 1830
6. The founder of the National Cheerleaders Association.
A. Lawrence R. Herkimer C. Lawrence D. Hiskimer
B. Lawrence B. Herkimer D. Lawrence R. Hiskimer
7. In this jump, the legs are straddled and straight, parallel to the ground, toes pointed, knees are
pointing up/backwards, and your hands are in fists or blades and arms in a "T" motion.
A. “T” Jump C. Hurdle Jump
B. Toe Touch Jump D. Pike Jump
8. This pertaining to shout out words or phrases that may help motivate and boost the morale of a
playing team and perform better during a game.
A. Cheering C. Yell
B. Cheer D. Yelling
9. Straighten the arms upward at a 45-degree angle from the head, with the hands in fists. What
cheer motions been described?
A. Low V C. High V
B. Low Touchdown D. T Motion
10. This jump is generally used to practice group timing who and snapping legs down from a
jump.
A. Spread Eagle C. Star Eagle
B. Split Jump D. Split Eagle

Guide Question
Before you move to the next activity, do not forget to write your ideas on the guide
question below. Write your answer in a whole yellow paper. You will be graded based on the
rubrics below.

“Why do we need to know first the basic step of cheerleading?”

 5 4 3 2 1
Exceptionally clear, Clear, focused, Evident main idea Main idea may be Purpose and main
focused, engaging interesting ideas with some cloudy because idea may be
Ideas and with relevant, with appropriate support which supporting details unclear and
Content strong supporting details. Uses four may be general or is too general or cluttered by
details. Uses five sentences. limited. Uses even off-topic. irrelevant details.
sentences. three sentences. Uses two Uses one
sentences. sentence.
Effectively Strong order and Organization is Attempts at Lock of
organized in local structures. Inviting appropriate but organization; may coherence;
and creative introduction and conventional. be a list of events. confusing. No
manner. Creative satisfying closure. Attempt at Beginning and identifiable
and engaging introduction and ending not introduction and
Organization introduction and conclusion. developed. conclusion
conclusion.

Accomplish the scoring rubrics honestly and sincerely.

Activity1

Please read and follow the given instruction below. “The purpose of this activity is to promote
active lifestyle during stay at home.”
1. Check first the “GENERAL TIPS FOR DANCING” in discussion.
2. Review all the essentials of cheer dancing.
3. Choose 10 basic cheer motions and use them as dance steps in ANY TIKTOK DANCE.
4. Each cheer motion must be LABELED on the video
5. The video must be ONE MINUTE.
6. You must be wearing COMPLETE PE UNIFORM on the video.
7. The deadline will be announced by your subject teacher. You will be graded according to the
rubrics below.
Accomplish the scoring rubrics honestly and sincerely.

5 4 3 2
Body Dancer show Dancer mostly Dancer rarely Dancer almost
Alignment, proper bodily show proper show proper never show
Engage and alignment, bodily bodily proper bodily
Extend engagement and alignment, alignment, alignment,
extension engagement and engagement and engagement and
throughout the extension extension extension
piece. throughout the throughout the throughout the
piece. piece. piece.
Focus and Effort Dancer perform Dancer appear Dancer Dancer do not
dance piece true focused and demonstrate perform with
energy and perform with a dance with little any effort and
effort. good amount of effort. appear to be
effort. much unfocused.
Knowledge and Dancer always Dancer mostly Dancer Dancer fail to
Fluidity demonstrate demonstrate demonstrate demonstrate
knowledge and knowledge and some knowledge knowledge and
fluidity fluidity and fluidity fluidity
throughout the throughout the throughout the throughout the
dance dance dance dance
movement. movement. movement. movement.
Using of Dancer used Dancer used Dancer used Dancer did not
Creativity own ideas and own ideas most some use own ideas or
imagination of the time imagination imagination

Completeness Video Video Video Video

presentation is presentation is presentation is presentation is
very detailed/ somewhat not detailed/ not detailed/
complex, detailed/ complex, complex,
complete. complex, complete complete
complete
 References

A. Internet
Grindstaff, Laura Anne (n.d), Cheerleading Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com/sports/cheerleading