The Best Dance Styles for Pro Cheer Preparation

The very first round of the auditions is the most critical part of being a pro cheerleader and dancing is the test. That’s why it’s very important to pick the best dancing style that would secure a judge’s vote.

Aside from that, you also have to consider which dance fits your style, you can effectively perform on, and improves on what you lack as a dancer. Here are 9 dancing styles that will help you choose what to showcase on audition day.

1.  Arena dance

This dance is a pure hybrid of modern, contemporary, interpretative dancing, and various pop culture references. The moves used in arena dances are very fast. This dance style is the best if you want to train your arms and legs to go along accurately to music beats while testing your endurance.

Props are also used in a lot of arena dances, so it’s perfect for pro cheerleader candidates who want to learn how to use pompoms.

2.  Jazz

Jazz dancing scores high in the eyes of the audition judges. This is because the moves of jazz dances hit close to pro cheer dancing which is hard. The energy level needed to perform is also progressive.

You’ll start with slow sexy dancing and progress to pirouettes with arm and leg tosses. The middle part will be some leg kicks. Then the routine finishes with floor dancing, hair tosses, and split leaps.

3.  Bellydance

One of the things judges look for in aspiring pro cheerleaders is an athletic and healthy body. The best way to show this is through Belly Dancing. This dance style doesn’t involve a lot of leaping but heavily emphasizes on arms, hips, torso movement, and hair tosses.

Practicing belly dance is best if you aim to gain more control of moving your shoulders and arms while toning your belly.

4.  Latin ballroom styles

If you want to improve on your footwork, posture, head movement, and team dancing, the Latin ballroom dances are best suited for you. The routines of Latin ballrooms are quite easy even for beginners.

All you need is to be familiar with major drum beats and vocal cues so you could land your steps and swing your hips with precision. Here are 5 Latin ballroom styles you can choose from:

• Cha-cha
• Jive
• Pasodoble
• Rumba
• Samba

5.  Hip-hop

For an aspiring pro cheerleader who wants to showcase a more explosive performance, hip-hop’s stunt and tumbling moves will be a huge help. Not only that, but the quick, complex, and precise movement of hip-hop routines are good for improving a dancer’s coordination, balance, and flexibility.

6.  Bollywood

Just because the word Bollywood sounds Indian doesn’t mean it’s like belly dancing. Bollywood is a slower-paced hip-hop dancing style that emphasizes medium-speed arm, leg, and hip swings with short leaps and fancy toe-tapping.

By learning and choosing Bollywood dancing as your audition piece, you’ll be playing safe with gorgeous moves while exerting not much effort.

7.  Zumba

Practicing Zumba dancing isn’t really useful for the auditions because it’s more of a workout dance than a showcase dance. However, it will still be useful if you want to gain more waist flexibility and limb control while losing weight and building endurance.

8.  Broadway

Broadway dancing is best for pro cheer aspirants who lack leg flexibility and stunt experience. The routines of this dance are mostly made of vertical kicks, tumbles, splits, and floor dancing.

9.  Disco

If Jazz, Latin Ballroom, and Bellydancing are styles that combine hip movements with arm swings and footwork, disco is the dance that is mostly hip swinging. Needless to say, this is the dancing style you need to improve your hip groove.

However, it might not be a bright idea to use this mainly as your showcase dance because it lacks the technical moves pro cheer dancing needs. However, you can use this as an intro in your showcase remix because it helps you build confidence.

Practicing to dance now is fun and can be used as a form of workout. Not only do you burn fat and get a toned body, but you also learn moves that will surely impress the judges. So pick your dance style or combine them for the audition.

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