Dance shows up in almost every kind of cheer: the dance section of a competition routine, band chants and the fight song on the sideline, and tryout material you have to learn in a day. This guide covers how cheer dance is judged, the motions and counts it’s built on, how to learn choreography faster, and how to perform it with energy.

Where Dance Shows Up in Cheer

In Competition Routines

The USASF all-star scoring rubric for Levels 1-5 (2026-27) gives dance its own category, separate from stunts, tumbling and jumps. Judges look at:

• Dance difficulty: visual elements, variety of levels, formation changes, pace and intricacy, footwork and floorwork, partner work and team participation.
• Dance technique and execution: perfection, synchronization, precision of spacing, uniformity, arm and motion placement, entertainment value and energy level.

Dance difficulty here doesn’t mean a harder style. It means a dance that uses the whole team, changes levels and formations, and moves at a strong pace.

On the Sideline

School cheerleaders dance at games through band chants, the fight song and timeouts. UCA’s Game Day competition format is based on this: a Band Chant, a crowd-leading section with situational sideline and a cheer, and the Fight Song. Sideline dance is about being sharp, together and easy for the crowd to follow, rather than complicated.

On Dance Teams

All-star dance is a separate sport from all-star cheer, with its own rules. The USASF dance rules list the main categories as Jazz, Pom, Hip Hop, Contemporary/Lyrical, Kick and Variety. Cheer dances often borrow from pom and hip hop styles: sharp arms, clean formations and hits on the beat.

The Motions Cheer Dance Is Built On

Cheer dances are built on the same arm motions you use in cheers. The most common include:

• High V and low V: arms straight in a V above or below your shoulders.
• T and broken T: arms straight out to the sides, or bent with fists at your shoulders.
• Touchdown and low touchdown: both arms straight up, or straight down.
• Daggers: arms bent tight to your sides, fists by your shoulders.
• Punch, L, K and diagonal: combinations of one arm up and the other in a different position.

For all of them: straight wrists, fists closed with thumbs wrapped, and arms placed exactly where they belong. Each motion should hit and stop, rather than drifting through to the next. USASF lists arm and motion placement as part of the dance technique score.

Counting and Timing

• Cheer choreography is counted in 8-counts. Learn to find “1” in the music.
• Count out loud while you learn, then in your head once it’s set.
• Know what happens on the “and” counts. Many motions hit on the “and” before a number.
• Practice with the music and without it, so you’re not relying on one cue.

How to Learn Choreography Faster

• Mark first, then go full out. Do small versions of the moves while watching, then do it full out once you know the order.
• Learn one 8-count at a time. Add each new 8-count onto what you already know.
• Learn the feet and the arms. Many dancers learn the arms and forget where their feet go. Check both.
• Say the words. Turning counts into words (“hit, hit, roll, clap”) helps you remember the sequence. Varsity’s safety advice makes a similar point: when your squad is on the same counts, converting them to words for a routine is easier.
• Review it the same day. Run it at home that evening, even if you only mark it.
• Use video if it’s allowed. Many tryouts share choreography videos. Watch them mirrored if that helps you follow along.

Performing It

• Energy and facials: USASF lists entertainment value and energy level in dance scoring, and its separate performance category looks for high energy, entertainment value, confidence and showmanship.
• Stay together: one of the judges quoted by Varsity asked teams to synchronize the dance instead of having one standout dancer in front, because one person may get a crowd response but it makes the rest of the squad look bad.
• Use the whole floor: another judge in the same Varsity article said staying in one formation or on one part of the floor gets boring.
• Know your spacing: precision of spacing is in the technique score. Learn your spot in each formation and how you get there.
• Finish every motion: hold the last position until the count is over.
• Watch yourself on video: compare your motions with the team’s, and look for late hits, bent wrists and low energy.

Practice Drills

• Motion drills: hit eight motions, one per count, in front of a mirror. Then speed up.
• Same count, same motion: with a partner, hit the same motion on the same count and check that your arms match.
• Full-out run with conditioning: run the dance full out twice in a row. If energy drops on the second run, endurance is what to train. Our guide to keeping your energy high can help.
• Tryout run-through: learn a short dance from a video in 20-30 minutes, then perform it without the video, as you might at a tryout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need dance training to be a cheerleader?

No, but it helps. Most cheer dance is built on cheer motions, counting and performance, which you learn in practice. Extra dance classes can help with rhythm and flexibility.

How is a cheer dance different from a dance team routine?

In cheer, the dance is one section of a routine that also has stunts, tumbling and jumps. Dance teams compete in categories such as pom, jazz, hip hop and kick, and the whole routine is dance.

What do coaches look for in a tryout dance?

Usually sharp motions, timing, how quickly you learn, and energy and facial expressions. See our guides to what cheer coaches look for and standing out at tryouts.

Before dancing full out, warm up with our cheer warm-up routine.

Sources: US All Star Federation, Cheer Scoring System (2026-27 Level 1-5 rubric) and 2026-27 Dance Rules; UCA, Game Day; Varsity, Competitive Cheerleading: Tips from the Judges and Dos and Don’ts of Safety. Last checked October 1, 2026.