High School Special Dances/routine Question

[MHSCheercoach]

Since I took over coaching, the squad performs a special dance/routine at our Tipoff Game, Homecoming, and Senior Night. In the past years, my seniors have been very great at contributing to coming up with the dances, except for last year. Last year, they didn't help what so ever and neither did anyone else on the team so I nixed the idea and we did none. This year, the squad wants to do them, but are not contributing. As a coach, yeah I can totally come up with the entire routine and teach it to them, but is that really my job? Is it my responsibility to spend countless hours of my spare time creating dances for them to do? I don't feel it is, I spend hours each week at practices, hours each week doing paperwork that is required for the squad, hours each week working on cheers, sidelines, and stunt ideas for them, hours each week working on music for these special dances. I don't get paid much for this job, but that's outside of my frustration...it's that it's not appreciated and when I do come up with stuff there is always someone being a critic. I feel like if I continue to create their routines then I am setting myself up for disappointment when they don't like it or perform it with no enthusiasm.

Whenever your team comes up with extra dances/routines, who comes up with them? Is it a team effort or just the coach?

 

[Twinklestars]

We have used dances that the girls learned at camp in the past. A semi-local all star gym has provided choreography and music for a reasonable fee. Some dance studios may be able to help also. Our local studio doesn't do much hip hop/cheer type dances, but I know she is willing to try.

 

[MHSCheercoach]

We have used dances that the girls learned at camp in the past. A semi-local all star gym has provided choreography and music for a reasonable fee. Some dance studios may be able to help also. Our local studio doesn't do much hip hop/cheer type dances, but I know she is willing to try.

We don't really have a local all star gym and have ZERO budget for a choreographer. Thanks though!!

 

[cheerforeverever]

When I was in HS, we had a mix. For pep rallies, sometimes we used a camp dance in whole, other times we used pieces of it, put it to better music & nixed the times it repeated/ added on 2-3 eight counts. I'll be honest though......majority of the time, it was high school aged me & about 2 other girls that would trade off on creating routines/choreo. Our coach choreographed things straight out of 1965 (rah rah rah sis boom bah style), & there was no way in heck our team wanted to perform that stuff, so we were REALLY motivated to provide alternative choreo options LOL. I will say that not every kid is born to choreograph however. Some people get really frustrated/ stressed out by it.

Maybe get their creativity flowing by breaking them up into groups of 3 & having them create 2 eight counts of a dance just for fun as a teambuilder during practice. See where your choreo talent lies within the team. Who knows, you may be able to use that as a start, or at least divide them into 3 groups (1 for each event) & have a designated time for them to create the dances.

Remind them that inspiration is everywhere! Youtube, movies, dance music videos, etc.

 

[Twinklestars]

I was just thinking you tube or look on varsity.com. They have all the high school championship stuff.


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[cheerforeverever]

youtube has a plethora....mix and match eight counts & make it your own. Pretty much all of the past years of NCA & UCA camp dances can be found on there as well.

 

[MHSCheercoach]

When I was in HS, we had a mix. For pep rallies, sometimes we used a camp dance in whole, other times we used pieces of it, put it to better music & nixed the times it repeated/ added on 2-3 eight counts. I'll be honest though......majority of the time, it was high school aged me & about 2 other girls that would trade off on creating routines/choreo. Our coach choreographed things straight out of 1965 (rah rah rah sis boom bah style), & there was no way in heck our team wanted to perform that stuff, so we were REALLY motivated to provide alternative choreo options LOL. I will say that not every kid is born to choreograph however. Some people get really frustrated/ stressed out by it.

Maybe get their creativity flowing by breaking them up into groups of 3 & having them create 2 eight counts of a dance just for fun as a teambuilder during practice. See where your choreo talent lies within the team. Who knows, you may be able to use that as a start, or at least divide them into 3 groups (1 for each event) & have a designated time for them to create the dances.

Remind them that inspiration is everywhere! Youtube, movies, dance music videos, etc.

I was the same way in high school, I came up with all of our dances, cheers, and even competition routines. I know that not everyone is great at it, but I feel like they don't even want to try. I've tried working with them during practice to come up with stuff and they literally stare at me blankly or try to start talking about their plans, etc. I have the music, which is great, but I want them to own it, I know I performed better when I had a part in creating what we were doing. Last year I handed them a complete routine, all they had to do was learn it, and while they did it technically, there was no emotion in it. Several of those girls said they wanted to be a part of creating it, those girls are now the ones that stare at me blankly. Thank you for the idea, I love turning it into a team builder!!

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Camp dances + a couple extra 8 counts = voila!

 

[MHSCheercoach]

Camp dances + a couple extra 8 counts = voila!

We did not attend camp this year, otherwise we would have used one for at least one of the dances. But thanks!