Cheer Dance Explained

Quick answer: dance is one of the core categories in a competitive cheer routine, alongside stunts, tumbling, jumps and motions - built from footwork, formations and sharp motion technique, and used to vary a routine's pace, energy and visual interest.

Why Dance Is Its Own Category

A cheer routine isn't only acrobatics. Dedicated dance sections - built primarily from motions and footwork rather than stunts or tumbling - give a routine rhythm and variety, and are one of the clearest places a team can show energy, performance quality and connection with the crowd and judges.

How Dance Is Built

Like every other part of a routine, dance is built around 8-counts - the basic unit of musical timing cheer shares with dance more broadly - and planned as part of the routine's overall choreography, including how the team's formations change throughout.

How Dance Fits With the Rest of the Routine

Dance sections typically connect the routine's other elements - stunts, tumbling and jumps - giving athletes recovery time between physically demanding skills while keeping the performance visually engaging throughout.

What Judges Look For

Much like motions, dance sections are generally judged on sharpness, technique and, critically, how well the whole team stays synchronised - see Synchronisation for more on how that's assessed.