I was never a fan of The UAAP Cheerdance Competition, mainly because I never supported any of those university. However, I was able to watch the said competition on television this Saturday.
Below are the highlights of the events taken from spot.com.ph:
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| Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion for Best Interpretation of an Anime Theme. Ateneo had a robot (which we heard was made and paid for by the cheerleaders themselves)!
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| As the third team to don a mohawk, we felt that at this point, it was getting old and we weren't sold on the drooping knee-high socks either. We, however, give them two thumbs up for their costume. It must have been hot under all that leather.
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| The Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion went for anime with their Voltes V-inspired (a reference to Ateneo de Manila's possible five-peat finish in basketball) routine complemented with traditional Japanese anime music.
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| The Adamson Pep Squad wore glittery tuxedo-styled costumes for their K-Pop-inspired performance.
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| We award the Adamson Pep Squad Best in Mohawk. The boys' floppy 'do was a fresh change from the usual stuck-up style, but it was the girls' brave attempt that won us over. The full-fringe, fish bowl cut with shaved sides? Not exactly an easy feat to pull off—especially after the competition.
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| Surprisingly, they were the only team to incorporate the now-infamous Gangnam Style dance move into their routine.
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| We had a difficult time selecting an award for the Animo Squad—from footwear to gloves to mix of prints, but in the end we had to hand it to them: they had the best-looking cheerleaders in the entire competition. Whether this was intentional or a purely gorgeous coincidence, we give them Best in View.
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| Apart from sporting lace-up shoes, gloves, and championship belts, the squad also made an innovative human boxing ring toward the end of their performance.
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| The Far Eastern University Cheering Squad took a walk on the wild side with their powerful jungle performance; the routine, embellished with FEU's famous killer stunts, bumped them up to second place.
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| Haunting makeup, perfect synchronization, and tribal music added effect to the entire spectacle.
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| The zebronkey has nothing on this yellow-and-green tamaraw-feline hybrid. We award the FEU Cheering Squad for being the Most Unusual Animal Since...the Beginning of Time.
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| Dazzled we were by their glittery...unmentionables, we decided to hand out two awards for this year's underdogs. In a landslide, they win Best Knickers.
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| Royalty was the word for the National University Cheering Squad. Channeling their inner Williams and Kates, this team went for the whole enchilada—tiaras, ruffled sleeves, tights.
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| Best "What is This?" Moment is also awarded to the National University. Is it a goblet, an hour glass, a drum? Are those sheet music, scrolls, a wall? Whatever is was, it was innovative enough to win them third overall.
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| A little superhero, a little Grecian, a little Paris Hilton, this team was the full package.
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| They may have finished last, but there is no stomping on their warrior spirit—just look at their war cry. Yes, without a doubt, Best Facials go to the University of the East.
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| The University of the East's Olympian number went well with their "warrior" moniker.
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| Usually at the forefront of cheerleading gimmickry, the University of the Philippines Pep Squad went for a minimalist approach for Season 75—so much so that they went as far as shaving their heads for the performance. Their freedom-themed routine earned them their third straight win and their eighth overall. They are now tied with the UST Salinggawi Dance Troup for most number-one finishes since the cheerdance competition started in 1994.
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| A major topple near the end of the routine marred UP's nearly perfect performance, but sheer technical difficulty and artistic precision kept them on top.
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| There's no other way of putting it, UP wins Best Overall—from hair to choreography to showmanship.
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| University of Sto. Tomas' Salinggawi Dance Troupe wowed the audience with a flamboyant spectacle inspired by Brazil.
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| We haven't seen anyone rock a neck brace since Rep. Gloria Arroyo, and the Salinggawi Dance Troupe made it look good. Although it does have a slight Elizabethan collar feel to it, we still give the Salinggawi Dance Troupe Most Fashionable Neck Accessory. They weren't ashamed of their cones of shame.
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| Grand and colorful as they were, however, UST once again failed to make it to the top three for the second year in a row.
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