The ones who have spent the entire season cheering on their fellow student-athletes are now ready to take center stage.
The UAAP Season 89 Cheerdance Competition returns on Saturday, November 21, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, bringing together the eight university squads for what UAAP President Mark Molina believes is the toughest one-night event in the collegiate league.
For one night, the cheerleaders will trade their supporting roles for the spotlight, showcasing a year’s worth of training, sacrifice, and preparation in front of thousands of spectators and their respective university communities.
“To be honest, cheerdancing is more popular than basketball and volleyball. The impact of cheerdance is different in the FEU community when we win. So, Coach Randell (San Gregorio), there’s a bit of pressure on you,” said Molina, who also acknowledged his growing appreciation for the discipline.
“But I am beginning to understand and appreciate cheerdancing and this competition. I really, really feel that this is the most difficult sport in the UAAP. You only have six minutes. If you make a mistake, next game na ulit. Basketball, volleyball, and football, you can bounce back in the next game. Ito, walang bawi next game. Bawi next year na,” he continued.
“That’s why I really appreciate it. Talagang I really, to my core, believe this is the biggest event in the UAAP.”
Molina pointed to the unforgiving nature of the competition, where each team has only one opportunity to deliver its routine without the luxury of bouncing back in another game. He also highlighted the physical demands and injury risks associated with the competition, recognizing the athleticism required to execute complicated stunts, tosses, pyramids, and tumbling sequences.
UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rene Saguisag Jr. echoed the importance of the event, describing the Cheerdance Competition as an opportunity to recognize everyone who contributes to the UAAP experience, from the performers to the people working behind the scenes.
“As I learned along the way, for everyone UAAP. This really completes the whole picture. Cheerdance, we’re giving you your flowers, the drummers, the pep squad, the coaches, and also the fans to really capture the school spirit,” Saguisag said.
He also emphasized that the competition goes beyond the stunts and aerial displays that typically draw the biggest reactions from the crowd, pointing to the smaller details that make each performance possible.
“So, as we know, people always tend to gravitate toward the sensational. In basketball, we see the alley-oops, the dunks. In cheerdance terms, that would be the stunts, I suppose. The aerials, the tumblings. And people forget the nuances, or the catching, the lifting, the spotters, who are the unsung heroes. Going inside the pyramid, going outside the pyramid. The expressions on the faces, I heard one team had to practice that for one whole day. So these are the little nuances that escape the casual fan, but these are really things we have to give attention to,” he added.
Saguisag stressed the importance of the fans and the various individuals who help stage the competition, saying the UAAP wants everyone involved to feel recognized and appreciated.
“Being consistent, for everyone, UAAP. I really love it. So we’re giving it back to the fans, to the coaches, the cheerdancers, the drummers, the pep squad, our broadcast partners, again si manang, si manong, who will prepare your meals, the cameramen, all the people in the OB van, our marketing partners, secretariats, security, EMS, and of course the media,” he said.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
UAAP Cheerdance Commissioner Paula Nunag, meanwhile, assured that the judging system will remain consistent with previous seasons, with separate panels evaluating the cheer and dance components of each performance.
Four judges will handle the dance portion, with each awarding up to 100 points for a maximum of 400. Another four judges will assess the cheer component, with one judge assigned to each of the four elements: stunts, tumbling, pyramids, and tosses.
This brings the total to eight scoring judges and a maximum possible score of 800 points.
A penalty judge will monitor rule and level violations, while a technical judge will identify major and minor mistakes and impose the corresponding deductions. A head judge will oversee the entire panel.
“We structured the judging system this way to make sure that lahat ng pinaghirapan ng lahat ng team on both the cheer and dance segments will be seen and scored accordingly,” Nunag said.
Cignal Head of Sports Content Mico Halili also recognized how the competition has evolved from a supporting attraction during basketball games into one of the UAAP’s biggest spectacles.
“Magically, through the years, people who were cheering, whether in the stands or on the floor during halftime, evolved into something more than just a support group. And now, they’re a centerpiece,” Halili said.
“I agree 100 percent with Mark that cheerdancers are super athletes. They do amazing things on the court. A lot of people don’t know yung pawis at pagod that they go through on a daily basis in order to come up with these performances,” he added.
Halili also emphasized the responsibility of the broadcast team in giving the squads the recognition their preparations deserve.
Among the planned improvements are new floor camera angles to capture the athletes’ expressions and performances more closely, as well as additional opportunities for the squads to share their stories through interviews and guest appearances.
The broadcast team also announced Kyla Kingsu as the new host of the Cheerdance Competition, succeeding Sam Corrales, who handled the event for the past four seasons. Kingsu, a former UAAP correspondent, brings an extensive dance background from her high school and college years, both locally and internationally.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Meanwhile, the order of performances will once again follow the universities’ hosting years, with the University of Santo Tomas Salinggawi Dance Troupe opening the competition as it seeks to end an 11-year championship drought.
The two-time champion UP Pep Squad will follow, before the UE Pep Squad, Adamson University Pep Squad, De La Salle University Animo Squad, and Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles take their turns on the floor, in that order.
The defending back-to-back champion National University Pep Squad will deliver the penultimate performance, while season host Far Eastern University Cheering Squad will close out the festivities.
Each squad is also bringing a distinct identity to this year’s competition.
Ateneo head coach Jerome Hernandez described the Blue Eagles’ presentation as a “Festive of Dance,” while FEU head coach Randell San Gregorio promised something “magical.”
UE’s Gibson Alegre teased a “Warriors’ Dynasty,” while UST’s Mark Chaiwalla described the Salinggawi Dance Troupe’s comeback bid as “redemption, regal, and timeless.”
UP head coach Liam de Chavez said the Maroons will celebrate Filipino culture, while NU’s Gab Bajacan characterized the defending champions’ routine as “vibrant, ritualistic, and powerful.”
La Salle head coach Marlon Domingo, meanwhile, promised to “unleash the animal,” while Adamson head coach Jeremy Lorenzo described the Soaring Falcons’ performance as “extreme, fearless, and bold.”
The UAAP Season 89 Cheerdance Competition will air live on One Sports, the UAAP Varsity Channel, Cignal Play, and the One Sports YouTube channel, allowing fans to catch all the action and cheer on their respective squads.
