Taiwan (Monsters) Cheer Workshop by Denvers Hi, Esmond here many would not know me:P haha.. ok i'll make it short that i am a new spectrum member which will post on this current event.
Day 1
Workshop started off with a thought-to-be childish but yet turned into a very good ice-breaker for the warm-up. Familiar music with cool flowing stretches and some cardio workout. very innovative thing that squads in SG definitely would like to try to make stretching even better:)
Next up was basic stunt training and it was not totally a waste of time for me. was totally enjoyable as i finally was able to prove what my 2 years of cheer training has did when i was in RP Rexaz and before that. Stunting with Jun Wei was a definite plus for me and with the approach of keeping flying till we fatigued definitely put my mind on making the best to enjoy my fav sports of all times; sincerely really!
Next up, dance! (i think?) haha.. dun really know the order but wow it definitely made me re-think how a routine should be. usually we think; stunts like alot, cheer like 8 bars and dance like 4 bars, got time throw in a bit of thumbling or if its needed. well this totally changed my mindset because it was 8 bars of 8 of solid actions. good choreography, not too hippy and neither is it too simple. confirm brought the spirit up in dance! Enjoy totally how that music was fast and yet it still gives space for creativity to add your own 'Ha' and 'He' and 'oomph' and 'yay' when you feel necessary. definitely another plus on making this a great workshop.
oh yea, before i forget it was a BIG and i mean BIG plus to see ppl i know in cheer in this workshop, my ex-squad, Blazers, Magnum Force and Spires just to name what i know rite now! and of course all workshops make you made new friends and for me it was the few squads my friends were in and a new experience to stunt and make friends with ppl in Flare:) will talk about this later on Day 2 collumn.
Next up is lunch and then back to more stunts. both were obviously totally cool with; one to catch up with old mates, the other is well to have a cool time using the muscles and techniques i think i still have (i think so) and still have fun fun fun in it. some might find that its a bore that we paying them to come and see stunts we usually do and not doing the advanced techniques which i know ppl were looking forward to. Something tells me that its gonna start easy first with the crowd so big and i think that basic basic was where they wanna start then:) i think that it was maybe because we came with such high expectation that some of us actually don't think its a good idea for our "juniors" to come which i must comment Magnum for not doing. i dunno how they got the funds but boy it must be a good experience for all those that came, be it experienced or not:)
Next up they combined the teams which was allocated earlier on to us which i felt should be integrated at the start. gel-ling members does not happen immediately which i think time and rush was the main concern of this workshop. Sorry for the wordy essay but i wanted a comprehensive post:) i find that some might find that this bonding teams together breaks the segregation of wanting to stay in your squad but i think they should just take everyone and mix them around. that way there's alot more room to explore culture in squads and also for us to share knowledge:P it was a great idea for us to try pyramids on Day 1 where i think was where most ppl came and it utilised this point in this workshop (another plus).
oh yea in the morning somewhere near dance prac we learn jumps. my favourite and they took it to a mini-contest which happen every now and then in the workshop which kept the spirit up when it seems to decline. the jmps contest was crazy and even blogging this i still feel this thought; why did i only jump 8 times, was it really cuz of the ppl around me stop and other reasons. but that definitely stirred me on to do more than 8 toe-touch for next year, be it that we need it for performance. i find that training for stuff you need just shows your logical, but training more than what you think you need, now thats passion. that only comes in hours of gym training outside training time, coming early to stretch and stretch extra during free stretching time, and setting outrageous plans for yourself just because you think its not your best.
Cheerleading at the end of the day is not just based on the stunts you do or else we might just go into bringing motorbikes in and jump it over cars and flaming rings. Cheerleading is more than stunts and routine, its the passion that pumps into your veins that leads you to do more. train harder so you can hit a stunt and become more useful to the squad in and out of training times, pushing each other to their mental abilities and hope that no politics will occur out of it and things like that. the passion of cheer for me is like some addictive thing pumping through my veins, once found you're hooked on it. No matter how much bad things happen you will know your life has a small attachment to cheer and i do speak from a person who bad things just happen a month back. Cheering just made me so hyper everytime i am on stage that if i was to repeat a routine again i wun mind doing it and i want to do it better. not for the fame, the glory, the money or the pretty girl in the audience. its really at the end of the day for yourself!
Day 2Fewer people doesn't usually mean lousier day but it just mean more focused and boy were we focused. partner stunting and i could do a walk to hands le with joanna from rexaz, thanks girl! and then more and more stunt tries with a lot of not enough time to keep trying:P haha then we moved on to lunch and the next up is...
Tumbling. so fun! din know between Cartwheel and forward roll still got stuff in between to do other things. back roll to teach on how to conquer your future backtuck phobia, opening your legs after a forward roll to teach on your next attempt on front-tuck and when you should open your legs and definitely the hand-stand to forward roll to teach you how to not hurt yourself and have loads of fun doing a simple stunt. Hand-stand competition was amazing, i din noe ppl could hold handstand so long and i definitely din forsee a lady coach to hold so long (no sexist comment here). it was totally amazing how far we can push ourselves as long as we leave the nice nice comfort zone.
next was to come up with a routine in the group your in and the gruelling practise after that. it was fun to stunt with other squads and definitely fun when Spires's combined team won 1st for the competitons. Congrats on that:) Now go on back and share that knowledge ppl! haha. with that i end my long essay on Taiwan Workshop brought to us by Denvers and Monsters. Looking forward to the next one. Sadly i couldn't find pictures to share my joys even from the pictures i have cuz i find that somehow the essence of the whole workshop cant be squeezed in any number of pictures.
Take care and signing out
Esmond Goh
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