1. Participants

2. Rules
    Basic rules  Performance  Judges  Criteria 

3. Sponsors

4. Results
    Group stunts division  Other Awards 

5. Championship table

6. Chronology of Events
    UP–UST Rivalry  Rise of the Underdogs  Controversy 

7. See also

8. References

9. External links

The UAAP Cheerdance Competition is an annual one-day event of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines for cheerdancing. The sequence of the performance are determined by drawing of lots prior the competition.

Before the announcement of winners and after all squads have performed, a recap is shown during the telecast. Only the Top 3 are announced at the end of the competition. The tally sheet of the total number of points garnered by all squads will be posted on social media briefly after the announcement of the top three. The 2015 UAAP Cheerdance Competition was the most attended UAAP event with a record-breaking 25,388 paying audience.^[1]

Participants

Rules

The competition rules has been revised through the years since it began. The following is based on the most recent rules drafted in 2012.^[2]

Basic rules

1. One official team per UAAP-member university
2. 15-25 UAAP-eligible students
3. Max of 5 spotters/propsmen, in all-black garb
4. Up to 2 substitutes 12 hours before the main competition
5. No interaction between members of the panel judges and participants, coaches and spectators
6. No abusive and profane language
7. No inappropriate and disrespectful action

Performance

1. Routines must have
   • School cheer yelled live. Any stunt, pyramid, and tumbling done during the cheer routine will be judged under the cheer category of each element.
   • Dance Routine (50% of total score)
   • * Stunts (Lifts and Dismounts)
   • * Tosses
   • * Pyramids (minimum of 3 pyramids with a maximum of 2.5 high)
   • * Tumblings (standing and running)
2. Maximum of 7 snares and 12 bass drums if the venue is Araneta Coliseum; 5 snares and 6 bass drums if the venue is SM Arena
3. Cheerleaders prohibited to be outside the boundary line of 15x20 meters performance area during the performance period
4. Performance must be 4-5 minutes long
5. Time will be stopped once all cheer dancers are no longer in the 15x20 meter performance area

Judges

Prior 2009, the panel of judges compose of representative from 8 UAAP-member schools and a representative from a credible gymnastics organizations. In 2009, UAAP replaced the panel of judges with representatives from various cheerleading, dance, and gymnastics organizations.

In 2013, a different way of composing the panel of judges was made. A single judge was assigned in every element in the cheerleading criteria. For the dance criteria, four judges were tasked to judge this particular criteria.

Criteria

The criteria for judging varies year-on-year. In 2008, the criteria were changed to a more cheerleading-focused point-system, giving a maximum score for each element of cheerleading and/or dancing. For 2013 edition, the criteria were divided into two: cheerleading and dance criteria. Cheerleading criteria were sub-divided into four elements (tumbling, stunt, tosses, and pyramid) with a maximum of 100 points for each element, while the dance criteria, which had a maximum of 100 points per number of judges for dance, were subdivided into four sub-criteria (over-all effectiveness, choreography, technique and execution).

Sponsors

Results

Every season, the host school for the UAAP Cheerdance Competition may or may not be different from the league's season host school.^[3]

Notes:

• {{note|a|a}} - The UAAP Board suspended the competition when a member from the UP Filipiniana figured in an accident during practice.
• {{note|b|b}} - In 1998, UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe did not join the competition.^[22]
• {{note|c|c}} - De La Salle University was suspended from the league in 2006.
• {{note|d|d}} - Instead of the average score from the five judges, the ranking frequency system was used in ranking and declaring the winners for 2012 UAAP Cheerdance Competition. In the case of NU and UST, NU was declared as the 2nd runner up as 3 out of 5 judges voted for NU as the 3rd placer while 3 out of 5 judges voted for UST as the 4th placer despite of the higher score of UST (85.56) than NU (85.16)
• {{note|e|e}} - Merit-based scoring was used in the criteria: 400 points for cheerleading elements and 400 points for dance elements; for a total score of 800. Scores displayed here are its percentage equivalent (e.g. Actual Score divided by 800 then multiplied to 100).
• {{note|f|f}} - University of the Philippines skipped UAAP Season 79 Cheerdance Competition
• {{note|g|g}} - The Far Eastern University and the National University finished the competition tied in the fourth place.

Group stunts division

In 2011, UAAP introduced the Group Stunts Competition.

Other Awards

Stunner Awardees

Sponsor Awards

Championship table

Cheerdance Competition

Group Stunts Competition

Chronology of Events

UP–UST Rivalry

There is no other rivalry in the cheerdance competition except for the UST-UP rivalry.

The UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe won the first three years of competition from 1994 to 1996.^[4] During those years, UP used to send its own dance troupe, the UP Filipiniana Dance Troupe and in the first edition of the contest, UP did not make it to the top three while the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe reigned supreme. In the 1998 season, UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe did not compete and instead joined the 1st Lipton Cheering Cup Competition. Also in that year, UP established a new pep squad, called UP Varsity Pep Squad, as its official delegate to the competition to replace the UP Filipiniana Dance Troupe.

The rivalry between the two squads began in 1999 when UST returned to reclaim the title after their year of absence. However, they only finished second behind UP Pep Squad. In 2001, UP Pep Squad matched the record of UST's three consecutive wins.

In 2002, UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe regained the title while UP Pep Squad finished third. The next three years had UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe in first place and UP Pep Squad as runner-up. In 2006, UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe received their eighth title via five consecutive victories setting the highest score in the history of the competition while UP Pep Squad finished third on that year.

UP Pep Squad regained the title in 2007 and garnered their fifth title in 2008, with UST as second placer. The UP Pep Squad's goal of a second three-peat was not realized in 2009. In that year, UST failed to enter top three for the first time. In 2010, UP regained the title while UST came back in the podium finishing third. UP had another three-peat after winning the 2011 and 2012 editions - the same years when UST failed to enter top three again.

Neither UP nor UST won the cheerdance tilt in from 2013 to 2015. In 2013, UST had its lowest ranking and settled seventh place. As of 2013, UP never placed outside top three while UST failed to get a podium ranking four times in five years.

In 2014, UST successfully rejoined the podium finish at third place while UP placed second. In 2015, after nine years, UST defeated UP by winning second place while UP settled for third. As of 2015, both teams have identical number of championship titles at eight. UP, despite being dethroned, is by far the most established team for having stayed at the podium for 20 years straight.

In the 2017 edition, UP returned from a one year hiatus but failed to enter the top three. The UP Pep Squad placed 6th with perennial rivals UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe placing second.

Rise of the Underdogs

In 2013, the National U Pep Squad claimed its first ever championship with an Arabian theme. The UAAP CDC was no longer about the triumvirate namely the FEU Cheering Squad, UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe and UP Varsity Pep Squad which were champions in the previous years. A year later The National U Pep Squad successfully clinched a back to back and furthermore a three-peat in 2015, being the third team to claim a three-peat in the CDC given some controversies. Despite the controversies the National U Pep Squad brought back a four-peat championship in the UAAP CDC with a futuristic theme in 2016 being the second squad to claim a four-peat beside UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe. Unfortunately, in the year 2017 they were not able to clinch a five-peat championship nor enter the top 3 due to low dance scores.

In 2017 the Adamson Pep Squad was crowned the champions with the hashtag 80's for 80. This proved that the underdogs could rise to the challenge of the former champions with the top three of that year containing former underdogs UE Pep Squad as bronze medalist and Adamson Pep Squad as gold medalist. The UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe were the silver medalists of that year. Meanwhile traditional power houses National U Pep Squad, UP Varsity Pep Squad and FEU Cheering Squad were out of the top 3.

In 2018 the National U Pep Squad had its comeback with a 5th Championship in just 6 years. Trailing back are the FEU Cheering Squad with a 70's Funk Theme as the first runner up and 2017 Gold Medalists Adamson Pep Squad with a Lion King theme, being their third straight year at the podium and landing the second runner up for 2018. Scores for the second runner up and third runner up, UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe were close at a 0.5 margin. 2018 was also the year that the Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion was ranked 7th amongst all the teams. This was a first for the Blue Babble in 5 years.

Controversy

Questions were raised on the results of the 2015 Cheerdance Competition after NU Pep Squad won despite committing multiple errors including falls on their lifts and pyramids. This is in contrast with runners-up UP and UST executing clean programs. The UAAP community in the social media was outraged mainly due to their disbelief of the ranking and allegations of biased judging and corruption. NU claimed that their stunts have higher degree of difficulty compared to other teams. Due to this, UP filed an official complaint for the case detailing several judging inaccuracies but was remained unresolved with UAAP officials.^[29][30] As a response to the unresolved issues and to focus on international competitions, UP Pep Squad decided to skip the 2016 competition.^[31]

See also

• UAAP Street Dance Competition
• NCAA Cheerleading Competition
• List of domestic club championship attendance: UAAP Cheerdance Competition in a global context.

References

External links

• UAAP Official site cheerdancing coverage

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