Universal All Star Gymnastics

Cheerleading and dance are like night and day—or at least they were. In today’s all-star cheer competitions, more and more crossover occurs as cheerleaders
incorporate dance into their routines. From kick lines to pirouettes, there are certain elements of dance that are becoming commonplace in all-star cheer competitions. So what does this mean for competitive performers around the world? Way more opportunity.
Since dancers and cheerleaders share fundamentals elements of performance—dedication, athleticism, leadership and teamwork—it’s conceivable that with proper training, cheerleaders could successfully make the transition to the competitive dance world. In fact, cheer gyms that have already been integrating dance into their routines or those who have even considered it, have a tremendous opportunity to compete in the all-star dance categories while attending competitions. Competitive cheerleaders who wish to crossover into competitive dance need to be trained in the style of dance that they intend to perform in. Simply put, if a team is competing in the jazz category, performers need to be trained in proper jazz technique. As a coach, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you aren’t an expert in jazz technique or choreography. The most successful teams take advantage of the resources available to them throughout the community. Dancers must be able to perform a variety of styles, such as pom, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, kick, funk and military. In order to be a successful dance team, performers must understand the techniques that are unique to each style of dance, and they must execute them with precision