All-Star Does The Dance Need To Be At The End Of A Routine?

[Cobalt_Jeron]

Hey everyone,

So as most of you know, the typical format of a all-star routine has the dance at the end. At least that's what I see 99.9% of the time.

My question is there any reason to put it in the middle somewhere? Would you expect it to score differently by not putting it at the end? What is the reason or thought process about putting it at the end?

Just basically want to start a discussion about the pros and con's on the placement of the dance section..

Also, any videos of good routines with the dance somewhere other then the end would be awesome

Thanks
Jeron

 

[Tealxblack25]

Ive always wondered this too actually..
My take on it is, you get your harder skills out of the way first.. and once youve hit all of them thats when you "bring it home " by killin that dance...

 

[cheernerd5678]

 

[minamay]

I think this could turn into a discussion on how routines are put together in general. Most are so cookie cutter...opening/standing tumbling, stunts, jumps, tumbling, pyramid, dance. There's very little variation within that and I wonder if that's taking away from the creativity of routines? Even if I've never seen a team before I can usually tell you what's coming next in their routine because it's predictable.

I do get the whole putting the dance at the end so you get the harder skills out of the way thing but is there any reason for the rest of the routine sections to be so structured?

 

[getsum]

after an exhausting 2:15 of tumbling and hitting stunts, someone competing would be thankful for the dance at the end since one can hide their exhaustion through through the dance and maybe have their sloppy dance moves notbe so obvious. its a tactical use of energy to have it at the end.

one might not be able to hide their tumbling busts/touches or stunt/pyramid bobbles/falls if they were at the end and exhausted.

 

[Cobalt_Jeron]

Yeah the only thing I can think of, is there is a ramp up in energy and excitement to the final big ending. And it's harder to make tumbling/stunting end bigger then a big exciting dance section..

So for most I think it starts off then ramps up to the dance, then if the dance is in the middle, it may ramp down slightly if you can't keep the same excitement/energy thru the rest of the routine.

 

[Ren]

Personally I feel as though I never perform a dance as well when it's not at the end of the routine- I'm just thinking about the next stunt/tumble. Not sure I agree about the sloppy dance moves - if the most I have to worry about for the rest of the routine is dance then it's going to be sharp, and less so if I'm thinking about pyramid or something. Also ending in a stunt or pyramid looks really bad if one bobbles/falls as it's the final impression and there isn't that "freeze frame" moment.
As for the rest of the routine, I think standing tumbling is usually near the beginning because most people find it the most tiring, but I'm happy to move anything else around and it usually depends more on who needs to be where for which section etc.

 

[njallday]

Basically, you set up the routine to end on the best possible note. If your team struggles with jumps/standing tumbling/their elite stunt/etc. you put that element first so they aren't tired yet/have the energy to push through it and they aren't worrying about hitting it throughout the entire routine. Teams like Senior Elite ROCK at pyramids and for them, the pyramid is ending on a high note. If your pyramid might come crashing down, you don't want that to be anyone's last impression of your team.

Unless you have some tumbling elements in the dance, it's rare that a team isn't going to "hit" their dance so they aren't worried and can just have fun or push through it if they're exhausted.

 

[luv2cheer92]

This is the routine I immediately thought of, I think I've only seen 2 or 3 routines that start with a dance, but I love it! Plus SassyCats were amazing this year anyways so anything they do is perfection.

 

[Belinda]

They have most of the routine in the "normal" order, but ending in their pyramid, like senior elite normally does. I actually believe their coach a few years back talked to CSP at worlds. And CSP gave her the tip to end in their pyramid. Because, just like most international cheerleading, they were struggling with tumbling(now it's incredible too), but their stunts were really solid. At least here (in Sweden), in the judgement protocol/score sheet, it says that the later you put a skill, the more difficulty you will get, as obviously you get more tired throughout the routine.

 

[cheerKT]

It's become commonplace due to the excitement that builds throughout the routine. If you killed it and your team knows it, it's easier to perform and "sell" the dance - the part of the routine where personality shines through most. Also of course you reduce the risk of deductions at the end due to fatigue if you pack the harder elements towards the beginning and middle.

 

[cupieqt]

Cookie cutter is a term we need to get rid of in all star. Routines will follow a certain map of course but everyone is free to play with the order of their sections. And I have yet to see teams forego any creativity.
In order to hit the scoresheet you need to plan the routine to play to your teams strengths. And alternating high (stunts, baskets, pyramids) to low (jumps, tumbling, dance) keeps it all visually appealing but more importantly spreads out the athletes requirements for explosive energy. It's just safer.

So a routine that opens like this: Jumps, dance, ST would not only get boring but it would set the team up to have to do their RT, stunts baskets and pyramids back to back. It would be exhausting. Not saying it isn't possible, just saying it might not be the smartest idea.

I love to play with the order of a routine. But being able to predict that the team is about to do a certain section doesn't make it cookie cutter. That's like saying "I bet she goes back the other way now" when a gymnasts does a beam routine in gymnastics.


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[cheerKT]

I think the dance moving to the end has come about over time. My first year of allstars was 03 and from what I remember the dance was somewhat in the middle. Presumably as routines have gotten harder and more physically demanding we've made the push to the end.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

For what it's worth, when I actively cheered all star circa late 90s and very early 2000s, we ended in pyramid much like UCA style school cheer routines.

I also coach school and let me tell you, ending in pyramid is a really great impression unless it doesn't hit. Imagine the biggest pyramid falls at Worlds at the very end. Not the last thing you want judges to see

 

[Sparkscheerma]

As a parent/spectator, I prefer the dance to be at the end. I think if it was anywhere else in the routine...I wouldn't enjoy it as much. The dance is one of my favorite parts of the routine. It's the time you bring the routine home. Sometimes it's good to have a beginning, a middle and an end. The dance is usually the end to your 2 minute and 30 second routine aka "story." I appreciate creativeness but when a routine doesn't end with a dance I sometimes feel as if the routine isn't quite over. Even though I know it is. It tends to throw me off. LOL. But that's just me. Sometimes I like to see the pyramid at the end but I do prefer the dance over anything else.

Also, when my CP performs...I hold my breath through the entire routine. When they hit their stunts, tumbling and pyramid I know the hard part is over and all there is left to do is the dance. If they hit their routine...oh my...what a great feeling that is...once the dance begins I always scream at the top tog my lungs, "Bring it home CP's team!!!!" The kids rock it out. When they hit that last dance pose...myself, the parents and coaches always go wild. I love that part & wouldn't want it any other way.