Basic Cheerleading Stances

A cheerleading routine can range from complex, with lifts and jumps, to a very simple spirit cheer. Every cheer routine, regardless of its complexity, builds on a few basic stances. Every cheerleader needs to learn these simple positions before advancing onto moves that are more complicated.

Instructions

    • 1

      Position your body into a beginning stance by moving your legs together with your feet forward. Place your arms tightly against your side with palms against your body and fingers extended. Change to cheer stance by moving your legs out until they are just beyond shoulder width with feet forward.

    • 2

      Move into clasp stance by keeping your legs spread apart or moving them back to beginning stance and clasping your hands together just under your chin. Bring your elbows into your body. Clap stance is identical, except that your hands are pressed together with fingers extended upward, as though you are clapping.

    • 3

      Spread your legs apart to just beyond shoulder width into cheer stance and extend your arms up and away from your body to create a V-shape around your head for a high V stance. A low V stance is similar, except that the arms should be extended down to form a V-shape around your body.

    • 4

      Keep your legs spread apart and raise your arms directly above your body, fists clenched and arms extended, to create the high touchdown stance. Low touchdown stance is the same, except that your hands and arms are extended directly downward.

    • 5

      Move your arms above your head with your legs in cheer stance and clasp your hands above and slightly in front of your head with your arms straight. This is called the overhead clasp. To move into a low clasp, bring your hands directly down and in front of your body with your arms extended.

    • 6

      Stay in cheer stance and turn your right foot out so that it faces to the side and bend your knee over the ankle. Keep your left leg straight and place your hands on your hips in fists. This is the side lunge position. Front lunge position is similar, but you place your right leg and foot forward and bent over the ankle while keeping your left leg straight.

    • 7

      Move into cheer stance and bring your arms straight out from your body and parallel to the ground with your hands in a fist to create a T-stance. Bend your elbows into your body to create a half T-stance. Extend one arm back out to the side to create the bow and arrow stance.