If the UAAP was a warzone, then the annual Cheerdance Competition would be the equivalent of armies chanting battle cries before beating each other senseless.

The metaphor becomes chillingly real when you consider the preparations for the event. For months, cheerleaders from the eight competing universities will train their bodies to twist, turn and contort in ways that redefine the laws of physics; be catapulted like cannon fire and move with the mechanical precision reserved only for creations in science fiction novels. All for a routine that lasts for a maximum of six minutes.

No other event in the UAAP requires such dedication.

For the combatants, winning the event proves that their team is the better fighter, the more talented warrior, the more imaginative foe. It’s a debate of gyrating bodies and dance moves – with the victor having the last word on the issue until next year’s competition rolls in.

For spectators like myself, just being able to watch the 2008 UAAP Cheerdance Competition live was a battle in itself. Luckily, I was able to score two patron tickets to the event where I could watch every flip and fumble of the cheerleaders at ground level. Ten minutes before startup, the queue of eager spectators was still snaking out of the Araneta Coliseum ticket booth while scalpers made a killing selling overpriced tickets. 

Battle colors

Entering the coliseum, one is met with an assault of sound that permeates from the soles of the feet to the roof of the brain. Even before the start of the show, supporters gave no quarter in asserting their dominance, whether it was the UE crowd’s well coordinated cheer, DLSU’s deafening chorus of “Animo, La Salle!” or UP’s chant of “Matatapang. Matatalino. Walang Takot Kahit Kanino!” At one point, the cheering was so loud that the announcer had a hard time making his voice heard over the din. One group that definitely came prepared was the sea of UST supporters all in Watchmen-yellow, complete with smiley faces and hotdog balloons.

All the schools came in battle colors - green for DLSU, blue for Ateneo, gold and black for UST, red for UE, yellow for NU, maroon for UP, yellow and green for FEU and blue for Adamson. During the competition, every perfectly executed move was rewarded with cheers of admiration while every fumble heckled to the heavens by the capacity crowd of 23,443.

DLSU started the competition with great oomph and snarl and showed a marked improvement over their routine last year. UST’s Salinggawi Dance Troupe opened their set with flips and tosses that had the crowd screaming, but it was UP’s “Tribo” theme – complete with ethnic dance steps and Mohawk haircuts – that made people take notice. Their last shot of green and maroon UP letters and the lone cheerleader standing UP Oblation style capped off a great performance for the evening.

FEU in green and yellow bodysuits looked great and matched their overall “Blazing Tamaraws” fire theme, while NU also had a great energetic set.

I must admit I was also impressed by the set of Adamson University. Composed of a very young group of cheerleaders, they started fast right out of the gate and kept doing harder and harder formations. Their last pyramid formation at the finale had the whole Adamson crowd on their feet in ecstasy.

The last two performances were also uniformly good. Ateneo’s inclusion of female cheerleaders to their usual all-male team was a welcome touch especially since the girls were wearing outfits that showed off their toned abs. UE, on the other hand, finished off the show in style as their opening formation with the umbrellas had everyone wondering at what they were going to do. 

The tribesmen dominate

Before the announcement of winners, my wife and I agreed that the fight for top prize was a toss-up between defending champions UP and perennial winners UST. While most of us usually cheered the more difficult stunts and formations, we also agreed that the judges would look at the difficulty and execution of jumps, stunts and tumbling; the synchronization of the dances; the creativity of the steps; the sharpness of the motions and the overall effect of the entire execution.

When FEU was announced 2nd runner-up in the event, TV footage showed the green and yellow team rejoicing. On the court, however, the immediate reaction of some members of the FEU team was not jubilation but a look of bewilderment, as if to say, “We’re third place, again?” Other teams, on the other hand, were holding hands or hugging each other while some were close to tears while praying. 

Watching the event on TV hours later, I was struck by how much emotion was captured by the camera and how much was left out. Footage on Studio 23 showed the crowds screaming but it failed to capture the seizure-inducing decibel levels of the event. During that commercial break before the announcement of the first runner-up and champion, the crowd was whipping itself into a frenzy over who the likely winners would be.

When the 1st runner-up was announced as UST, there was cheering from the supporters of the team from España, but the loudest cheers reaching pure delirium came from the people from Diliman. There was never any doubt that UP had won by then and amid chants of “U-nibersidad ng Pilipinas!”, the UP Pep Squad accepted their prize of P195,000 with much crying from the cheerleaders and cheers from the fans. It was a heady moment for the team made even more memorable by the fact that UP is celebrating its centennial and were hosts of the UAAP for the year.

As we stepped out of the coliseum, I heard one student remark that he felt his school was cheated in the contest. And then he added with a mix of anger and awe in his voice: “Ang galing talaga ng UP.”

Indeed, the gloating has begun.