Our studio is debating adding cheer classes. We have people experienced enough to teach these classes but would like to know how you all run your classes. The class would be 45min once a week. Do you do poms with it? Stunting? Across the floor? A recital dance? We're pretty new at the whole "cheer" thing so I need some help here!

Also, for those of you taht have it, or have had it in the past, any pros or cons you'd like to share?

You didn't mention what age you plan on doing, We have a pom pom class which starts at age 9, We've found any younger then that they get to easily distracted by their poms. I'm the SO, not the teacher for this class so i can't go into large detail - but the basic structure of class is a Jazz based warm-up, Then across the floor combinations with out poms, Across the floor with poms, Center exercises with poms, partnering/lifts (We do not start lifts until the intermediate/advanced levels), then a cool down with flexibility training.
These classes do perform in the recital and it is also the class students enroll in to perform in the local parades over the summer.

One of the cons is that as the students get more advanced the risk of injury is really big - so make sure your teacher is experienced not only in dance/cheering but in safety as well - Training in gymnastics is a recommendation to. There are many gymnastics/cheer safety training courses out there to help with issues like this.

Thank you. I believe my SO is planning on offering for all ages, but now that you mentioned the pom factor, we will probably only do poms for our older girls. Keep the info coming. THis helps!

I'm not sure if you are going to incorporate tumbling into your classes but I've taught cheer/tumble classes for 5-13 year olds and the format was as follows:

Stretching and warm up: "butterflies", pointing and flexing in a pike position, straddles, wrist-ankle-shoulder-neck stretching, seal stretch, crunches, push ups, back bends, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, handstands

Jumps(varied by age): tucks, x jumps, toe touches, herkies, hurdlers, around the worlds, "whipped" jumps

Tumbling (across the mat-varied by age):forward rolls, dive rolls, straddle rolls, handstand forward rolls, handstand backbends, front and back walk overs, front and back handsprings
(this sequence is a lot more gymnastics than cheer tumble, but I'm a firm believer in controlled progressive tumbling)

Choreography: had portions with poms for all the age groups, but the choreography was learned first, then the poms were added. We didn't do stunting for numerous reasons, but if you have the staff/facility/mature students for it then it would definitely be a plus.


I did all of this in 45 minutes, but it was pretty fast paced. The conditioning type exercises and jumps should be in my opinion, because cheerleading requires immense amounts of strength and stamina.

Hope that helped

My classes are 1.25 hours, once a week. It's a class only and I don't compete.
Every week we do warm-up (just like a jazz warm-up with isolations and stretches) for about 15 minutes. We also always do 20-30 min. of tumbling. Depending on the time of the year I do all of the following, but not all on the same day: motions, jumps, cheers and chants, stunts and pom routine.
Example: In the beginning of the year - stretch, motions, jumps, cheer or chant, tumbling. A month or so in - stretch, jumps, stunt, routine, tumbling. After they have the basics down I switch it up depending on what they need work on.
My more advanced classes will do it all except we either do the stunts OR cheers/chants each class. They move through motions, jumps and routine much quicker then beginners since they know what to do, but just have to work on their ability.
Good luck!