Anyone could name the differences between badminton and tennis. Also, those same people could name the difference between dodgeball and volleyball. But the real question is, could those same people name the differences between cheerleading and the competitive dance team. According to a survey that was presented to a various demographic of Saint Viator students, an astonishing 45.1% did not know what characteristics separate the two sports or believed that no difference existed between the two teams.

The first major difference are the different techniques used in the two sports. Cheerleading, is a lot more focused and centered on school spirit and enthusiasm. They are more likely to be found at football and basketball games. Cheerleaders tend to try and hype up the student section and engage them in various cheers, chants and other various actions of the sort. The motions used in this sport have a tendency to be more “tight” and the cheerleaders must “snap” into place.

On the contrary, the competitive dance team, are inclined to participate more in individual competitions. They tend to perform more to music in the background in oppose to chants or cheers. The music really depends on what is choreographed and can vary but usually tends to stay in the realm of modern pop to keep it relatable and upbeat for their audience. Their motions are a lot more fluid and fluctuating.

In terms of facial expression, which could indeed be a crucial aspect in both sports, for competitive dance team it will vary. If say the music they are dancing to is more grave and serious, correspondingly they might have more grave and serious facial expressions. On the other hand, as cheerleading is more focused on enthusiasm and spirit, they may be more obligated to smile during their performances.

As any other sport, so they do indeed have both a state series and even state finals. Scoring in cheerleading is based on an unbiased and highly experienced judging panel. The judges will score a team based on their stunts, tosses, pyramids, technique and creativity. Similarly in competitive dance, there is a judging panel that will base their scoring off of a consistent rubric. The difference here is that competitive dance scoring will be based on kicks, choreography, difficulty, execution and synchronization, but again, this rubric is subject to change based on the competition.

There are clear differences between the two sports that make them unique in their own way. To an uninformed observer, the two may seem extremely similar, but in reality they have significant differences.