Cheer Squad Auditions

Audition Expectations

Squad Composition:
Male and Female Couples

Potential returning members must audition each year and are not guaranteed a spot on the team.

Stunting:
Squad members perform co-ed stunts including the basics with chairs, walk into hands and toss to hands, working toward extensions, liberties, and cupies. The squad builds pyramids including 2-2-1, high splits, and table top. The squad also throws baskets including toe touch, back tuck, fulls and X-out.

Tumbling:
Squad members are expected to work towards standing back tucks, standing back handsprings and tumbling passes including back handsprings, tucks, lay-outs and fulls.

Motion Technique and Dance
Squad members perform with the UCLA Bruin Marching Band. For the female members, there is dancing involved. For the male members, it is more focused on arm motions. Squad members should be able to keep the beat and have the memory capability to memorize multiple routines.

Clinics/Auditions:

• A blank CD is turned into the office with the candidate's name and labeled Cheer Squad NO LATER THAN Monday, April 20th at 5 p.m. for the audition music to be recorded for the candidate. CD will be returned on the last day of clinics.
• Candidates should arrive stretched and ready to go.
• Try-outs will take place during the clinic process. Each candidate must attend a Sunday or a Wednesday clinic during the 1st week. At the end of the 1st week, invitations will be announced on our website inviting candidates to the 2nd week of clinics. Each candidate must then attend the Sunday or Wednesday clinic during the 2nd week. At the end of the 2nd week, invitations will be announced on our website inviting candidates to the Final Audition on Sunday, April 26th. There will be a panel of professionals and Bruin alumni to evaluate talent and potential in stunting and tumbling.
• Candidates will demonstrate tumbling passes, beginning with round-offs, building to lay-outs, fulls and beyond.
• Move to standing gymnastics, including back tucks.
• Females should be prepared to demonstrate kicks and jumps.
• Candidates will be paired up for partner stunting. Candidates are encouraged to demonstrate any partner stunting skills that they have. We are looking for the following partner stunts: walk into hands and toss hands.

Audition Day:

• 2 female/male couples (at one time) perform the Fight Song and drum cadence taught at the clinics.
• Candidates have the option of doing running tumbling for their entrance and/or running in and then performing standing tumbling, kicks and/or jumps.
• A series of kicks and jumps - 5 kicks on each side and the candidates choice of 3 jumps will be performed.
• Candidates (male and female) are interviewed one at a time by the judging panel. 2-3 questions are asked during each interview. One of interview questions will be selected from the candidates’ application.
• The final list is posted on the website at the designated time.

What to Wear:
Female Candidates are asked to wear:

• cheer skirt
• tight fitting top (leotard, full-length sports bra) in order to see body lines and positioning
• small, white, ankle socks
• white, athletic shoes--shoelaces tucked in--appropriate for stunting (shoes will not be worn during the gymnastics portion of the audition)
• hair should be out of the candidate's face, but not in a ponytail
• stage/game-ready/TV-ready make-up
• appropriate bras or sport bras and bloomers/briefs
• no jewelry or body piercings
• no ribbons/bows
• no food or gum
• overall clean, mature and collegiate presentation

• navy or black shorts
• clean T-shirt
• small, ankle socks
• white, athletic shoes--shoelaces tucked in (shoes will not be worn during the gymnastics portion of the audition)
• no facial hair
• short, clean hair cut
• no jewelry or body piercings
• no food or gum
• overall clean, mature and collegiate presentation

Back

Time Commitments

Spring and Summer:
Throughout Spring Quarter, the squad will meet Sunday evenings from 4-7 p.m., Wednesday nights from 6-9 p.m. and Thursday nights from 5-8 p.m. to begin working on partner stunting, tumbling and material for upcoming events throughout the summer and football games.

The squad has the month of June off to complete their Spring Quarter, move and settle in for the summer.

Cheer Squad practices will start up the week of July 20th and continue through to the beginning of football season (Aug. 30th) with the following schedule:

• Monday and Wednesday morning workouts with our personal trainer, Stacey Herring, from 7-9 a.m.
• Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening practices with the coach from 6-9 p.m.

Rehearsals:
Once classes begin for Fall Quarter, practices are held Sunday afternoons/evenings, Monday-Friday from 7:00 - 9:00 a.m. and Monday and Wednesday nights.

Thursday mornings are reserved for workouts with our personal trainer, Stacey Herring, on the track and in the weight room.

Monday-Friday mornings and designated evenings are the practice times with the coach.

Squad members are asked to find an additional 2 times during the week to maintain their individual workout from the personal trainer with cardio and weight training.

Performances:
The Cheer Squad performs at Athletic, campus, alumni, media and community service events throughout the year beginning in Spring Quarter immediately following auditions. The squad performs at:

• all home and away Football games
• all home and selected away Men’s and Women’s Basketball games
• all home Women’s and selected Men’s Volleyball games
• selected Gymnastics meets
• selected Olympic sports events including: Water Polo, Softball, Track and Field, Soccer, etc.
• various campus events including: class appearances, grand openings, recognition ceremonies, etc.
• various alumni events including: seasonal kick-offs, dinners, scholarship presentations, airport greetings, etc.
• media events including: TV promotions, sponsorship promotions, commercials, photo shoots, etc.
• community service events including: community outreach performances at local middle schools and high schools, birthday parties, weddings, bar/ bat mitzvahs, etc.

Typical Rehearsal/Workout:

• Stretch and tape up
• For a workout, the squad will work with our trainer, Stacey Herring, on the track for the first hour and then move to the weight room for the second hour following his daily agenda.
• For practices, the squad will work with the coach’s agenda including tumbling, partner stunting, pyramids and learning/reviewing game material.

Back