Cheerleading Choreography Is A Crossover Specialty
Cheerleading choreography is not dance choreography. Well, it is not entirely dance choreography, but it is related to the type of work that dance choreographers do. But it is a unique type of choreography. All it has in common with the many other kinds of choreography is that it involves planning coordinated human movements to create a specific visual effect. There are many types of choreography, ranging from fight choreography for the movies or theater, to ice skating choreography to the movement synchronization used in synchronized swimming and skating. Even choirs and marching bands involve choreography, not to mention gymnastics, particularly floor work. Whenever a human body moves with a view to others viewing the performance, some level of choreography is generally involved.
It is no wonder then that cheer choreographers are so in demand. Of all the myriad types of choreography, cheerleading choreography is arguably the most visible to the largest number of spectators, here and overseas. This is due to the incredible interest shown by cheerleaders and the public at large in this attractive visual sport. Not only do thousands of spectators attend cheerleading competitions across the length and breadth of the US, but the important regional competitions and of course the national cheer contests are being broadcast on television to the delight of millions. It has probably never happened in history that so many people have watched choreographed movement in such numbers before. Other big spectator sports including football, baseball and basketball are singularly devoid of the choreography element, and understandably so.
Cheerleading choreography is very much a crossover type of exercise. It involves elements of gymnastics, athletics, dance with an added dollop of flair that is reminiscent of great circus performances. It is therefore to be appreciated that most of the leading cheer choreographers have backgrounds in cheerleading themselves, which allows them to know firsthand what is required. This is an important factor because cheerleading as an activity, sport or pastime, which it is variously called, is just in its infancy, with All Star cheerleading having come into being just this century, following decades of amateurism for cheerleaders associated with colleges and schools. Not only do cheerleading choreography experts need to have a profound knowledge of cheerleading moves such as tumbling and stunting. They also need to know about the limits of gymnastic ability that can be asked of cheerleaders and how to incorporate dance moves, whether modern, hip hop or jazz, into the choreography for the best effect. Plus they have to get the most bang for their buck i.e. as many moves as possible into a limited time of just minutes for each routine.
If you consider the specific requirements of cheerleading choreography, it becomes obvious why there are so few such specialists in existence. How many people, after all, have a combined knowledge of cheerleading, dance, gymnastics and athletics? Practically no one has actually done formal study for this. Most cheerleading choreographers come from a background of being active cheerleading squad members, sometimes with over a decade’s experience of that and coaching, before being called to the challenging occupation of cheerleading choreography. If you take, for instance, the resident cheer choreography experts at Cheerleading-Choreography.com then you will see that a good and lengthy of the industry is a prerequisite for top professional choreographers. Interestingly enough, these cheer choreography divas are so good at what they do that they even do it at a distance.
Most people are amazed to learn that a squad coach may request the services of a cheer choreographer via the internet on Cheerleading-Choreography.com. As long as the report has been filled in properly the choreographer will have a fair idea of the abilities and skills levels of every cheerleader in the squad. From there he or she can draw up a well-choreographed routine that will suit the whole squad. If Cheerleading-Music-Mix.com, a sister company of the choreography business, also operating via the internet, has been hired to do the music then the job is made so much easier. All it takes is for the choreography champion to work out a scintillating and unique routine, written out in the proper notation, and then to travel to where the squad is and teach the routine. This takes no more than a couple of hours. The written routine is left with the coach so that he or she can perfect the execution of the routine. The cheer choreographer will, of course, be available for further consultation on the phone or via email. A perfectly choreographed cheer performance is inevitably the result.
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