UAAP CHEERDANCE COMPETITION

Watching the UAAP Cheerdance Competition never fails to bring back teenage memories, perky - cutesy years, and those Salonpas moments after practices. 

UAAP just had their annual cheer dancing competition, this time held for the first time at the MOA Arena. I still prefer it to be in Araneta though, where it's more tight and noisy, MOA Arena's just quite big. I just don't like the place even on concerts, let arena be in Araneta. I miss MOA concert grounds and its cheaper tix! 

The UAAP CDC last Sept.22 trended on Twitter even before the show ended, I believe it even trended on top spot worldwide! From hashtag #SamsungUAAPCheerdanceCompetition2012 to hashtags of the 8 different competing schools, anything related to it, you name it & it's on twitter. This just goes to show how many viewers this once in a year event gathers. 

But what is with this event that makes us (especially girls) glued on TV? I have been watching it since 2001 and I don't think I remembered missing a single competing year. Here's the thing, my school isn't even part of UAAP. Also, I only watched it live once and never accepted free passes anymore bec. I prefer to watch it on TV where I can see the whole routine clearly. Here's another thing, I am not a professional cheerdancer nor trainer, and I would only watch Hellcats for Ashley Tisdale. So, why do we like the UAAP Cheerdance Competition anyway?

PASSION & FRUSTRATION

September would be UAAP's time to showcase their cheers and of course those skillfully mastered routines. This is also a great time for cheerdancers or choreographers to pick up some steps, formations, music and costume ideas which you would probably recognized during Sportsfest. You see yourself doing those same moves because you are and you were a cheerdancer during your students days. 

I have here one of those cheerdancing outfits I wore years ago. Ugh, the poor taste of yesteryears! 

Some would watch it out of frustration though. Those who have always dreamt of wearing a neatly sewn cheerdancing outfit, or of being tossed and flip, or smiling like retards while shouting your school's chant. You would watch and imagine that you are that girl on top of the pyramid, or you would try to do their dance steps but you look hideous so you just continue the daydreaming instead.

CREATIVE AND EYE CANDY

The color identifier of the eight schools played a big part on the competition's creative and eye candy aspect. I chose to use the word eye candy as it best describes the young audience's appeal as well. The costume, music, and / or the over-all theme are the creative factors you are excited to see every year. 

The costumes excites me actually, I like how it affects the synchronization of the squad. The UST Salinggawi dance troupe didn't made it again this year on the top 3, they used to be the biggest competitor every year. Who doesn't know their famous chant: "GO USTE! GO USTE!". I also miss their signature unitards costume, I still believe they started it all, and for me its their winning charm. For me UST (except for this year!) and UP are the best in terms of costume. For the least liked, I would say UE, Ateneo, and Adamson.

The theme is also what makes it interesting. How they would get to incorporate it to their routine without sacrificing cheerdancing technicalities. NU gave us the royalties or Disney-themed performance this year so they wore princess / prince inspired outfits, played Disney songs like A Whole New World, and ended the routine with Beauty and the Beast's Be Our Guest. Maybe they did a great job as they are placed on the top 3 for the first time!

Some of my favorites are UE's motorcycle props from 2003, Matrix inspired routine of UST from 2002, Madonna-theme of UP last year, Ateneo's cowboy theme from 2002, DLSU Military theme from 2005, and FEU's jungle theme this year! UP on the other hand still never fails to surprise us each year. From super short hair, to blonde hair, and now... semi-bald haircut! Man the commitment and sacrifice they do on every woman's crowning glory! Congrats UP for winning this year by the way! Ateneo had a Voltes V mascot at the end of their routine to represent their theme. 

But do you remember UAAP's sponsor before Samsung? Yes it's Nestle's Non-stop where they have to incorporate the Non-stop ice cream to their dance routine! I remembered seeing huge Nonstop ice cream containers made from styrofoam all for sponsor's glory.

STUNTS AND COMMENTARY

Whether you're a cheerdancer or not, the tosses, pyramids, basically the routine itself amazes you. The breath taking moments of tossers, flyers are just some of the highlights of the 'show'. The stunning pyramids that makes you wonder how they can still smile and balance themselves at the same time. I always tend to picture a tape being rewinded every time I would see those girls jumping backwards going to second base of the pyramid, haha! This is a big factor for the judges as of course aside from the creativity, it is still the technicalities of cheering that matters.

UP seems to remain consistent with that, especially this year where they didn't invest on much costume and props, and focused on stunts instead. Some of my unforgettable and favorites stunts are FEU's worm stunt (i don't know what you call it) from 2003, UST's coliseo pyramid from 2009, Ateneo's moon walk on air (2009 I think), UST's inverted pyramid from 2003, UP's headstand that showed the originally inverted UP henna on their stomach (forgot the year), and Adamson's carousel toss from 2006 (that was really great!).

Since twitter's part of our viewing experience as well, the UAAP CDC also became a chance for us girls to be commentators in UAAP for a day. Hell yeah, shut up boys and your insights and comments about basketball coz it's our time to shine, at least for one day! We all suddenly became cheer dancing experts, forecasting the top 3, which most of the time is correct (at least for the top 2). It used to be predictable with UST Salinggawi being consistent on the winning spot, not until UP pep squad backed up their basketball team and FEU being consistent as well on the top 3!

These are just some of the reasons why we love to watch UAAP's cheerdancing competition. But above all this, what really should matter is the essence of school spirit! Whether you're part of the 8 competing schools or not, this one day event every year just reminds us that there should always be room for enjoyment. It's a break between the heart stopping basketball, volleyball, etc. It's where we get to feel young again, where we see beautiful girls wearing colorful outfits, and wow ourselves from those amazing stunts.

It's all about being perky, fun, loud, full of energy, creative, and... still young. We are never too old for this kind of things! GO FIGHT!


(original photo of cheerdancers are not mine)

TEMPORARILY

Almost 4hours stuck in traffic from last night's sudden rain! #flood #manilatraffic #southtonorth #sundo (Taken with Instagram)

  That 4 hours was filled with both quality talks and silence while looking outside the car window pondering on whatever catches my sight, or depending on the music. The day before this, Sunday, was also my day of service at Victory. Attending service makes me excited about Sunday, it's like going to my place of sanity. 

   I related these two incidents because they both left me the thought: "some friends are temporary". I don't know how pastors do it, but sometimes they really hit the innermost silence of the heart. Same with my companion last night, he was just randomly telling a story, but I remembered my own sentiments just the same. 

  See I have lost a friend just recently, caused by reasons I am honestly not sure of. I cannot say I am clueless but a good explanation would be great right? This is just one of an old story's effect... or consequences? The negligence of 'the old story' to change has affected so many already. I am just concerned on how someone's irresponsibility has caused friendships and good times. You cannot get forgiveness or even a slight understanding from people, if you can't even figure out or accept that you did them wrong. I never wanted to write anything about what you did, what transpired, just basically ANYTHING ABOUT YOU, though blogging could have been a good (not great) outlet for me at that time, I chose not to write about it. Why? Because I don't like to invite opinions from those WHO KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT. About us. But when I saw a friend being caught in the middle, I can't help but turn my thoughts into writing.   

   It just puzzled me so much on why he would choose to end friendship with me, when I know for myself that I understand how hard it is for him to be in the middle. Well at least that is what he is trying to tell me. But the worst part is, talking about friendship as if we were never there for him at all. I didn't get mad, instead felt sad and yeah, hurt of course. For as long as I can remember, I did share some generous time listening to him as he narrates his worries, problems, etc. And for as long as I can remember too, he was one of my first guy friends at work (former one) who assured me of his trust. I'm sorry though if this post would heighten his anger towards me (for whatever reason, I don't know), you chose to end it anyway. But please, don't write anything about friendship, especially if you will intentionally address it to me, coz I would scream to disagree. I would rather have some post like this and be mad at me, than be oblivious with whatever it is I said or done. 

   Like what is mentioned above, "friendship is temporary", but that happens rarely. In the first place, there is no such thing as a 'short term friend'. And if someone would decide to end a friendship out of reasons that maybe I am not worthy to hear, then probably there is really a person worth keeping only for a certain period of time. 

   Friends are not temporary. Friends are not there only for convenience's sake. I wouldn't want to talk about it here, but you speaking about friendship, as if I have given you a bad one, is hurtful. I very seldom need you for my personal life, thinking that you have your own struggle, and on that rare occasion that I did need you... well, never mind. I am confident that I never said or did anything that would cause you to cut social network connections between us, and if I did, I would appreciate you telling it to my face. 

   I wouldn't be your temporary friend, I think I would still be there for you in case you would need a tap on the back. And however 'the old story' has influenced you, or even if he didn't, I would still be open to hear you out. I have so many friends and you are just one of them, but as long as I know that I even chose to understand your predicament to actually deserve this treatment, is unacceptable. 

   Okay I'm done ranting here. Lemme focus with the permanent ones now, cheers!