UAAP Cheerdance Competition 2012

UAAP Courtside Reporters

 Let me start by saying that I miss the crazy feeling of the UAAP Cheerdance Competition back when it was still held at Araneta Coliseum. All those lanes along the perimeter of the Big Dome cramped up during the selling of tickets. The musky odor coming from the UAAP fanatics as they enter the venue. The heckling between rival schools.  The scalpers who mark up the prices of tickets good enough to sustain their families for a year. Oh, how I miss it!

My sister was kind enough to buy me a ticket from La Salle. It was just a GenAd ticket but once you take hold of a ticket such as these, it is like receiving a golden ticket to enter Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory.

I met my sister an hour before the CDC started. She was with her blockmates. They are sitting at DLSU’s side. And that’s when I realized that I don’t have someone to watch the CDC with. Instead of sitting in the green school’s side wearing my Go USTe yellow t-shirt, I decided to watch it alone at UST’s area.

Skay-ree!

I really had a good time watching all the squads perform. I think UP and FEU delivered very strong performances. I am no cheerleading fanatic so I can’t comment on the technicalities. UP had some errors at the end. Based from what I saw, I can summarize the performance of those two schools in three words: sharp, fast, and sure. 

DLSU’s routine was very pleasing to the eyes. Their costume looked really clean and I think they should keep it that way (No more Lastikman costume please). Slowly, DLSU is stepping up to the game. I was convinced that they would get the 3^rd place this year after all the performances. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get a podium finish in the coming years. They already snatched 1^st runner up last year and I know they would do anything to get back up there again.

I wasn’t really expecting National U to be in the top 3. The routine was clean but Disney/royalty concept and costume seemed too tacky for me.  

I liked Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion’s choreography. They look blissful doing those sharp, Broadway-inspired moves that I do not know how to exactly describe. I just don’t get the logic of including the Voltes Five in their routine but it was really cool.

Srsly, Ateneo?

As for UST’s Salinggawi Dance Troupe, I wasn’t really expecting a podium finish after reading some not so good comments in twitter after the pep rally. The performance was definitely better compared to the previous year, the tumbling passes were spot on, liftings are more stable, and the whole routine had been more technical.  

But why do I feel that they’re not yet ready to step up to the game?  I know that these people really work hard. I have a friend who used to be part of this group and I can attest how long and hard they train for this competition but then again, if they are serious about returning the UAAP CDC crown to Espana then they should start pushing their limits. The Thomasian community couldn’t wait for another year every year just to barge back in the UAAP CDC top 3.

UP Pep Squad still emerged as the champion for this year, followed by the FEU Cheering Squad and NU Pep Squad, 1^st and 2^nd runner up, respectively.