UAAP Cheerdance Competition

The UAAP Cheerdance Competition is an annual one-day event of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines for cheerleading. However, it does not count in the tabulation to determine the UAAP Overall Championship. Studio 23 received the right to televise the UAAP Men's Basketball. Along with it came the coverage rights of the annual UAAP Cheerdance Competition. The hosts of the event usually start with an audience roll call. After each participating university's name is called, the audience from that school chants their most popular cheer along with their official drummers. However, the dancers of their respective pep squads are not shown to viewers, on site and over live streaming, until their performance. The sequence of the roll call are random and solely the discretion of the hosts or producers. The sequence of the performance are determined by drawing of lots prior the competition. Since 2006, side-court reporters of each participating universities join the main host of the event. Before the announcement of winners and after all squads have performed, a recap is shown during the telecast. Only the champion and first and second runners-up are announced at the end of the competition. Except in 2008 and 2010, the host(s) reveal the average scores before announcing the winners. University of Santo Tomas has the most championships (8) followed by University of the Philippines (6). University of the Philippines is the current defending champion. The 2008 Samsung UAAP Cheerdance Competition was the most attended UAAP event with a record-breaking 23,443 paying audience.

Latest Results
For the UAAP Cheerdance Competition 2010 Edition, the University of the Philippines bagged the championship crown gaining four first place marks from the judges. The Far Eastern University placed second with 3 second place and 2 third place marks, while the University of Santo Tomas received 2 second place and 3 third place nods from the board of judges. The following are the scores of the top three teams out of a possible total score of 500 points from 5 judges:
 * 1) University of the Philippines - 440.9 points (88.18%)
 * 2) Far Eastern University - 421.4 points (84.28%)
 * 3) University of Santo Tomas - 407.5 points (81.50%)

Rules
The competition rules has been revised through the years since it began. The following is based on the most recent rules drafted in 2008.

Basic Rules

 * 1) One official team per UAAP-member university
 * 2) 15-25 UAAP-eligible students
 * 3) Max of 5 spotters/propsmen, in all-black garb
 * 4) Up to 2 substitutes 12 hours before the competition
 * 5) No interaction between members of the panel judges and participants, coaches and spectators
 * 6) No abusive and profane language
 * 7) No inappropriate and disrespectful action

Performance

 * 1) Routines must have:
 * 2) * School cheer yelled live
 * 3) * Dance techniques, variety of formations, synchronization with music and cheers
 * 4) To count, 50% of the squad must perform:
 * 5) * Min 3 jumps/leaps
 * 6) * Min 3 lifts/stunts
 * 7) * Toss
 * 8) * Gymnastics/tumbling
 * 9) * Min 3 pyramids (Max 2.5 high)
 * 10) Maximum of 7 snares and 12 bass drums
 * 11) Routine should be between 4–5 minutes long
 * 12) Cheerleaders may not perform outside the boundary line of 15x20 meters performance area

Judges
In 2009, UAAP replaced the panel of judges with representatives from various cheerleading, dance, and gymnastics organizations. Prior 2009, the panel of judges compose of representative from 8 UAAP-member schools and a representative from a credible gymnastics organizations. The following are the judges for 2010:
 * Anatoly Panassiukov, Ballet Master of Philippine Ballet Theatre
 * Jasmin Ortega, Coach of Women's Artistic Gymnastics International School-Manila (International Judge)
 * Evangeline Navarro, Vice-President of the Cheerleading Association of the Philippines
 * Hayden Robbie, Member of Technical Committee of Asian Cheerleading Federation
 * Javier Beren, Technical Director of Pilipinas Cheerleading Association

Criteria
The following is the most recent set of criteria drafted in 2010.


 * Dance Technique (10)
 * Jumps (5)
 * Tumbling skills (5)
 * Tosses (5)
 * Formations (5)
 * Lifts and Stunts (10)
 * Pyramids (10)
 * Choreography (10)
 * Degree of Difficulty (10)
 * Synchronization (10)
 * Audibility/Clarity of cheers (5)
 * Uniforms and Props (5)
 * Overall Effectiveness (10)

Top Three
Notes:
 * - The UAAP Board suspended the competition when a member from the UP Filipiniana figured in an accident during practice.
 * - In 1998, UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe did not join the competition.
 * - De La Salle University was suspended in 2006 and was not allowed to join the competition.

UP - UST Rivalry
  Being the top two teams to win the most number of championship titles, the University of the Philippines and the University of Santo Tomas were caught in a friendly competition through their official cheerdance teams: the UP Pep Squad and the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe.

Head-to-head status
The UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe has the most number of wins, with eight (8) championships followed by the UP Pep Squad with six (6). UST holds the most consecutive victories at five (5), which they achieved from 2002 to 2006. The highest score recorded in the competition was 94.96 by UST in 2006, followed by 93.61 also by UST in 2004. UP's highest score was 93.30 in 2008, when a new point-system was introduced. The largest point differential between the two teams is 8.03 by UP in 2008, followed by 4.90 also by UP in 2001. UST's largest lead over UP was 3.38 in 2002, when UP finished 3rd.

Both UP and UST broke their rival's streak after landing on the third spot. In 1999, UP won the title after being placed in third in 1998. UST was able to regain the title in 2002 after being a third placer in 2001. UP again took the championship title in 2007 after finishing third in 2006.

Chronology of events
The UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe won the first three years of competition from 1994 to 1996. They did not compete in the 1998 season and instead joined the 1st Lipton Cheering Cup Competition. The rivalry between the two squads began in 1999 when UST returned to reclaim the title after their year of absence. However, they only finished second behind UP Pep Squad. In 2001, UP Pep Squad matched the record of UST's three consecutive wins. In 2002, UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe regained the title while UP Pep Squad finished third. The next three years had UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe in first place and UP Pep Squad as runner-up. In 2006, UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe received their eighth title via five consecutive victories with the highest recorded score in the history of the competition; UP Pep Squad finished third. UP Pep Squad regained the title in 2007 and garnered their fifth title in 2008, setting the highest recorded lead over 2nd place UST. The UP Pep Squad's goal of a second three-peat, however, was not realized in 2009, with the title going to FEU. That year, UP finished 3rd while the Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion dislodged UST out of the top 3 with a surprise 2nd place finish. In 2010, UP edged out FEU to regain the title, while UST regained a spot in the top 3.

Popular cheers
UP's popular cheer is "Unibersidad ng Pilipinas" while UST's is "Go USTe!". Usually held in Araneta Coliseum, the UP crowd clap hands over their head while chanting their cheer, while the UST crowd waves either their yellow hotdog balloons or their raised right pointing finger in circular clockwise motion while cheering.