Cheer dance was my first choice during the course enlistment in CRS so I was very happy to get the slot. I joined dance troupes during my high school years and there is no doubt that dancing has a special place in my heart, although most of the routines I have done are hip-hop. I always wanted to try different dance styles and I’m glad that UP offers a diversity of dance classes for PE. I chose cheer dance because I am both familiar and unfamiliar with it. I have a background in simple gymnastics, and I thought that it is the closest style to what I was used to. It seemed so familiar, yet at the same time, I knew it was unfamiliar ground. This cheer dance class has taught me that there is more to cheer dance than cheering.

My greatest takeaway from the little time that I was in class is body awareness. I always knew how important teamwork, body control, and synchronization is in dancing. But the short drills and warm-ups we made in class changed my idea of body control. “Body awareness” was a new term for me. I always knew to master body control is the key to great details in dancing. But body awareness is more than improving technique and details. From what I learned, body awareness is being aware of every muscle that you can control, as well as being aware of your space and mass, relative to the people around you. It was like I was relearning what I previously knew and making it better.

Sure, there were tough times. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t even think of cutting class. Sometimes it’s because other colleges like to schedule their quizzes on a Monday, and the temptation to use the 2 hours to review. But most of the time, it’s because of the physical aftermath. The body pain from one day of the class makes it impossible to get up the morning after. Sometimes I still feel it three to four days after. So when a week has passed, and it’s Monday again, I’ll remember all the salonpas I’ve wasted and ask “Is the pain worth it?”. Still, I end up attending the class. Strangely, I have always hated the feeling of a sore body, yet it makes me feel satisfied. Like I have done something to be proud of. And when the soreness fades away, I’ll always look forward to the next one.

When this Covid-19 outbreak happened, I was sincerely worried that I won’t be able to continue my progress. I was looking forward to learning more group stunts and gymnastics but I know the health of the many is more important.

I was glad when Sir Pio was able to do Facebook Live. I at least can learn a short maintenance workout and a short dance routine. But then, submissions and deadlines were lifted so we were just left with the replay of that Facebook Live and a few Youtube links which Sir Pio shared. At first. I tried following those, at least 3 times per week. But

I knew I cannot keep doing the same thing. So I started finding workout challenges on Youtube and I found a few good ones. I’ve been striving to follow those diligently and I am glad to say that I am slowly seeing results. I still practice my handstand every once in a while, using the skills I’ve learned from class and the walls for support. Sadly, I am scared to further it into a full cartwheel without supervision from a professional.

The only thing that I wish for is to learn what I could have learned from the class. If I could find or get a full guide to doing these skills, I would gladly try it. Like a step by step tutorial, or a progressive set of practices and exercises that will lead to perfect execution to the skill. I just find it sad that I’ll be passed in this PE class and lose the opportunity to learn these skills.

Fortunately, these could be done online as well, should the next classes are required to be done online. I know that there could be many like these on Youtube or on the internet in general. But for it to be done/curated by a professional like Sir Pio, it would be more reliable, less risky, and less terrifying to try.