● Togetherness - dancing of two people as one
on the dance floor
PATHFIT 3 REVIEWER
● Musicality and expression - the basic
characterization of the dance with the particular
WHAT IS DANCE SPORT? music being played and the choreographic
adherence to musical phrasings and accents
● Combination of art and sport. It was called
competitive ballroom dancing in the past. ● Presentation - how the couple presents their
● This goes with a partner (male and lady) dancing to the audience as well as the proper
competing against other partners dancing on the costuming and grooming.
floor at one time.
● Dancesport provides an avenue to gain ● Power- the energy that is controlled and not wild
discipline of the body and mind of the dance
athlete. ● Foot and leg action - the use of lower
extremities that creates balance, beauty and
DANCE SPORT STYLES strength.
International Standard and International Latin ● Shape - the combination of turn and sway to
Technique were codified by the Imperial Society of create a look or a position
Teacher of Dance to come up with a unified syllabus for
all those interested in ballroom dancing. ● Lead and Follow - the non-verbal
communication of the man and lady through
● International Latin dances: shape, visual, and body eight.
○ Samba, Cha-cha-cha, Rumba, Paso
Doble, and Jive. ● Floorcraft - the ability to avoid bumping into
● International Standard dances: other couples and continue dancing without
○ Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow pause when boxed in.
Foxtrot, and Quickstep.
● Intangibles - how a couple "look" together in
BODIES GOVERNING DANCESPORT performing their dances.
● The World Dance Council (WDC) INTERNATIONAL LATIN
● World DanceSport Federation (WDSF)
WALTZ
CHARACTERISTICS OF DANCESPORT ● Time Signature: 3/4 with the first beat accented
● Each step = 1 beat
● Posture - enables a dancer to stand out on the ● Counting in beats and bars-123, 223, 323, 423,
floor, which shows sophistication and confidence etc.
● Timing - dancing on time with music TANGO
● It was the first dance in Europe before world war
● Line - the stretching of the body I. It originates from Buenos Aires (Argentina)
where it was first danced in "Barrio de Las
● Hold - the correct position of the body with the Ranas" the ghetto of Buenos Aires
partner in closed position
FOXTROT
● Poise - the stretch of the woman's body ● The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance
upwards and outwards and leftwards into the characterized by long, continuous flowing
man's right arm to achieve balance and movements across the dance floor.
connection with his frame, as well as to project
towards the audience
QUICKSTEP
● Light-hearted dance of the standard ballroom
dances. The movement of the dance is fast and
powerfully flowing and sprinkled with
syncopations.
СНАСНАСНА
● This is a Latin American ballroom dance with a
fast basic pattern of three steps with a shuffle. It
also has a fast rhythmic pattern
RUMBA
● This is a kind of a song and a dance which ● Promenade position - A V-shaped dance
originated from Cuba. It has a percussive rhythm position where both man and lady move forward
and a combination of Cuba's music and dance and in the same direction, towards the end of
traditions the V
SAMBA ● Closed Position - The normal hold where the
● Samba is a Brazilian musical genre and dance partners stand facing each other in body contact
style, with its roots in Africa via the West African slightly offset to the left
slave trade and African religious traditions which
it derived. ● Open Position - Any dance position where man
and lady stand apart or slightly apart, without
BASIC DANCE SPORT TERMINOLOGIES taking a closed position dance hold.
● Name of the Figure - identification of a figure in ● Open Facing Position - A variation of open
a dance style position where man and lady standing apart
facing each other, usually with a
● Step numbers - number of steps in a figure one-or-two-hand connection
● Alignment - the position of the feet in relation to ● Outside - the Right Outside Partner Position is a
the room variation of the Closed Position where the tracks
of the feet are slightly offset
● Amount of turn - this is measured between the
feet Definition and Nature of Cheer Dancing /
Cheerleading
● Footwork - refers to the part of the foot that is in
contact of the floor
● Cheer dancing or cheerleading is a team
activity combining:
● Timing - the synchronization of actions with the
beat of the music
○ Dancing
○ Chanting or shouting slogans
● Line of dance (LOD ) - The counter clockwise
○ Stunting
direction around the dance floor
○ Tumbling
● Wall - means the direction perpendicular to the
● Purpose:
LOD pointing towards the wall of the room
○ To entertain and motivate the crowd
● Center - means the direction perpendicular to
during sports events.
the
○ To encourage the players and boost
team spirit.
Important Notes: ● Routines last up to 5 minutes.
● Involves a cheerleader (leader of the group) Costume:
who leads chants and routines using pompoms.
● Can be skirt or pants, usually matching team
● Cheerleading is meant to support a team, not colors.
compete — hence, not considered a sport
(Darnell, 2012). ● Chosen based on team preference and
comfort during performance.
● Not officially recognized as a sport by:
The Cheerleader:
○ NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic
Association) ● Main leader of the cheer dance routine.
○ U.S. Federal Title IX guidelines
● Performs flips, lifts, and backflips.
PHYSICAL AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
● Displays discipline, teamwork, leadership,
Cheer Dance Requires: and sportsmanship.
● Flexibility ● Historically, first cheerleaders were men
● Strength (Grindstaff, 2015).
● Agility
● Courage and trust among teammates ● A versatile cheerleader can perform any role:
(especially for stunts)
○ Base
Risks and Safety:
○ Flyer
● High risk of falling and injuries due to stunts.
○ Spotter (Kek, 2019)
● Must observe:
Cultural Context:
○ Warm-up
○ Workout ● In the U.S., cheerleading represents school
○ Cool-down spirit, youth, and leadership.
● To prevent fatigue and injury, safety must be ● Especially iconic in Southern states like Texas
the top priority. (Grindstaff, 2015).
● Despite improvements, cheerleading still has a CHEERLEADING POSITIONS
higher injury rate than 23 out of 24
NCAA-recognized sports (Greenspan, 2020). 1. Base
STRUCTURE OF A CHEER DANCE TEAM ● Foundation of all stunts and pyramids.
Members: ● Usually stronger and taller members.
● Usually 15 to 20 participants. ● Responsibilities:
● Require basic skills in: ○ Lift and support the flyers.
○ Push off the ground using leg strength
○ Gymnastics and proper technique.
○ Tumbling
○ Acrobatic movements ● Good form and balance transfer are essential
(Kek, 2018).
2. Spotter (Back Spot) Cheerleading Stunts
● Assists both base and flyer. Types of Stunts:
● Must be strong, tall, and alert. ● Individual Stunts – Performed by one person
only.
● Roles: ● Dual Stunts – Performed by two individuals,
where one acts as a spotter or support.
○ Support flyers during lifts. ● Group Stunts – Performed by more than two
○ Catch flyers during falls. persons and may include pyramid formations.
○ Protect head and neck first if the flyer
falls. Basic Cheerleading Motions and Skills
● Always maintains eye contact and attention to ● Clasp – Hands are together in front of the face
the flyer (Ninemire, 2019). with elbows close; used when clapping.
● Overhead Clasp – Arms are straight above the
3. Flyer head with hands clasped.
● High-V – Arms are lifted forming a “V” shape;
● Performer lifted or thrown into the air. fingers point away from the body with fists tight.
● Cone – Similar to a touchdown motion but with
● Smaller, lighter, and highly flexible. hands clasped together at the top.
● Touchdown – Arms are straight up above the
● Must have: head with biceps near the ears.
● T-Motion – Arms extended to the sides forming
○ Confidence a “T” shape.
○ Body control ● Jump (Straddle Jump) – Legs extended
○ Fearlessness parallel to the ground with knees up and fists or
○ Trust in teammates blades positioned.
● Handstand – A vertical balance on the hands;
● Executes stunts such as: arms shoulder-width apart and chin tucked.
● Pike – Sitting position with legs forward; bend at
○ Scorpion the hips and lean forward.
○ Heel stretch ● Split – Legs extended in a straight line to
○ Scaling improve flexibility and stunts.
Types of Splits
TECHNIQUES IN CHEER DANCING (B.E.A.T.)
● Half Split – One knee is bent while the other
Tips to avoid mistakes and improve performance:
leg is stretched forward.
● Balance – Find your center and maintain ● Straddle Split (Side Split) – Legs extended
equilibrium for a stable base. sideways while the body faces forward.
● Eye Contact – Maintain eye contact with the ● Side Split – Legs open sideways at a 180°
audience to engage and connect. angle.
● Arms – Use both arms for bodyweight control ● Front Split – One leg forward and one leg back
and balance during stunts. with hips kept neutral.
● Tight – Keep the body firm and feet close
Regular stretching improves flexibility and ability to
together to avoid falls.
perform splits safely.
