Tumbling For Cheerleading Vs Dance

There are many different levels of tumbling skills and many different types of skills for each level.  As your athletes grow, the types of skills they are looking to achieve usually become more specialized because of the other sports where they are looking to use their tumbling skills.  Certain tumbling skills are essential for dancers and cheerleaders as they advance and start to compete at a higher level.  However, it is very important to know that the type of tumbling skills used in dance and cheerleading are not the same.  That is why it is beneficial for competitive dancers and cheerleaders to take private tumbling classes, so they can focus on their specific needs.  At Challenge Athletics, our coaches are trained on the different types of tumbling for dance and cheerleading, to help lead each athlete in the correct direction.  

Different Body Types For Different Tumbling Skills

Dance is one of the main categories in cheerleading, but the style of dance in cheerleading is very different from ballet and jazz.  The same is true for the style of tumbling between the two sports.  In dance, the movements are slower and require more flexibility and control.  In cheerleading the movements are faster and more powerful requiring more strength.  Many sports require a specific body type for its athletes to compete at a certain level.  The body type for dancers is directly related to the type of tumbling skills being performed, just like it is for cheerleaders.

Team Oriented Tumbling Or Solo Tumbling

Cheerleading is a team oriented sport.  The type of tumbling skills needed for cheerleading are very specific. The skills put in the routine depend on the abilities of each team member. In order for a team to receive the difficulty points desired, 51% of the athletes need to be able to perform the skill.  It is important for a tumbling coach to know the age of the athlete and the level or type of team they are on, when choosing the appropriate skills to work towards.  In addition to a team's difficulty score, they are also judged on the execution of the tumbling skills.  That is why it is important to perfect skills as they are learned, as well as preventing injuries. In dance, the athletes compete as a group and also many of them choose to compete individually.  This allows more flexibility with which tumbling skills are being performed.  

Most Popular Tumbling Skills

While there are many different tumbling skills necessary for both dance and cheerleading, they each have their own most popular skill that is requested.  For dance, that skill is an aerial and for cheerleading it is a back handspring. These skills take a lot of practice and dedication to accomplish.  There are many fundamental skills that are needed before being able to learn back handsprings and aerials as well as  harder skills that are expected to come after those are achieved.  That is why it is important to have a coach that knows your athletes specific goals and the steps to get them there.  

In order to achieve your tumbling goals for dance or cheerleading, it is important to make sure you are prioritizing tumbling and practicing year round.  It can be difficult to find the time on top of your cheer or dance schedule, but these skills are not learned in a short period of time and taking time off from practice could lead to setbacks.   To find the coach that will help your athlete with their specific goals, contact us today.  

Aerials

Back Handsprings