perfecting your cheer facials

Finally! Possibly my favorite cheer related topic; facials! This is such a simple but very important topic to cheerleading. If you really think about it; you can have the "best" cheer team with amazing tumble passes and intricate stunts and sharp choreography, but it would look so dull and incomplete if everyone on the team had a blank stare throughout their routine! Just as important it is to have high energy when yelling to a crowd of people by calling out cheers, the expression on your face is immensely crucial too. Your expression on your face both on and off the cheer mats should show how your inner cheerful self feels! Okay, moving on from this introduction and onto the tips! (:

​Smiling and showing facials can be a really easy thing for some people, but can also be harder to others. Overall it's all about being comfortable with your smile and confident with yourself. Being a cheerleader or dancer already means you have great confidence and can even shine with being in front of a crowd and performing; so let your smile express that. Facials are NOT something you want to be shy about. Number one thing with facials and just about everything else in life; be confident!

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​A really great tip that my mom actually used to teach her students in her studio was to have even further exaggerated facials by saying the vowels. A-E-I-O-U. The more popular ones are A, E, and I. But you can use the letter O very subtlety and form a small "O" and the "U" letter is more of a duck/kissy face.

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​Practice in front of a mirror! If you have a larger mirror and room to move, I'd recommend you even do some of your routine so you can see what your facials
will be like when you are performing. A way to even further this step would be to have someone record you while you do your routine so you can focus even more on your performance and don't have to dance and look at yourself in the mirror at the same time. This way you will also be able to playback the video again and again to continue to study it!

Don't be afraid to exaggerate! Us cheerleaders will wear more heavy stage makeup for performances, wear shiny and tight uniforms, are sharp and exaggerated with every motion; so why not do the same with your facials! Don't be afraid of your wide eyes and big ol' smiles! When the judges are farther away, it makes a big difference to go the extra mile to make sure they can see it.

​ A funny quote I once saw on Pinterest comes to my mind but it's totally true! "It's not a facial if you don't feel stupid." Because let's face it, when we look back at some pictures of our facials mid-performance, we might look really silly; but it is one of those "You had to be there" situations. With the high intense energy and the pumping music, etc. the facials totally fit in with the moment, but might look a little less fitting in a piture frame in the middle of your living room; AND THAT'S OKAY. It'll make for a cute memory when you're older, haha.

​Try to think of having facials so big that even people sitting in the very last row of the bleachers can see when you smile, wink, and bob your head. While cheer facials may be over-the-top, it is totally worth it when you win your competition or even win Best Showmanship! When you are having lots of fun performing, it is bound to show through your facial expressions! These are all the tips I have for you today! Best of luck with your killer facials! (:

                                                                                                              Much love,
                                                                                                                            Maya XOXO