Skills and Drills – Motions

In today’s cheerleading world, people tend to focus on the fun stuff: stunts, pyramids, basket tosses, tumbling and dancing. Cheerleaders often overlook the basics, like motions. Motions, though simple, work wonders for effective crowd leading.

Follow the Four P’s of Motion Technique, and your motions will impress fans just as much as your stunts do.

Posture: Proper stance and alignment are essential to motion execution. Stand up straight, with chest lifted and shoulders back. Tuck pelvis under to engage abdominal muscles. Avoid slumping, and keep your shoulders relaxed away from the ears.

Placement: When learning or practicing motions, ensure proper hand/arm placement. Each motion should feel comfortable and identical on either side. Make sure arms are completely locked out without hyper-extending the elbows. Wrists should be straight. Need extra help? Use a partner or a mirror to guide you.

Perfection: Once you’ve mastered placement, learn how to hit those motions perfectly every time. Repeating motion drills to counts or music can help you develop muscle memory. Include both sides of any motion created with one arm. Once you nail it, challenge yourself by building speed or changing the sequence.

Precision: Precision involves coordinating individual motions with a group. Arrange the team in a bowling pin formation, and start your motion drill. Repeat several times, focusing on hitting motions at the same time with the same placement. Add speed to make the motion drill more challenging.