Appeal to the audience is important, but more significant will be whether or not the judges agree with the choice the Houlton cheerleaders made for their upcoming competitions.
The Houlton cheerleaders will compete in the Aroostook League Championship Friday night in Caribou at 7 p.m. and on Saturday, they will travel to Lincoln to participate in the Penobscot Valley Conference Championship at Mattanawcook Academy at 10 a.m.
The Houlton cheerleaders are performing an upbeat, energetic routine to 1980s music. The girls’ T-shirts and main dance song is “Sweet Dreams are Made of This.”
“We believe the music from that time period is fun,” said coaches Renae Foley and Michelle Sullivan. “The girls have sweet dreams about winning and we hope they make it a reality.”
The Houlton cheerleaders have practiced their routine and debuted it last weekend at the Houlton girls and boys games against Calais.
The routine is fast paced, with plenty of tumbling, pyramids and flyers that keep the audience, and hopefully the judges, engaged.
“We continue to clean up all aspects of the routine,” explained the coaches. “We thought their first two performances went well overall.”
The routine is evaluated in the following areas: partner stunts and pyramids, tumbling, motion technique, dance, jumps, as well as transitions, showmanship and overall performance.
“Each piece is important and it is truly a team effort to perform a clean routine,” agreed Foley and Sullivan. “Different girls have different strengths, so it takes everyone working together to make each other as strong as possible in each category.”
With the unseasonable warm temperatures that have risen from the frigid cold, the Houlton cheerleaders have battled sickness.
“Just like around town and school, we have experienced some lost days,” said the coaches. “But, we feel confident with our regulars, along with the alternates stepping up.”
The Houlton cheerleaders will compete at the Eastern Maine regionals on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 3:45 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center. If they qualify, the state meet will be Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Augusta Civic Center.
“The girls have worked really hard this season,” said the coaches. “They are an incredible group of young ladies and we are proud to be working with them. We have really noticed them becoming a tightly knit team. They are willing to go over the same sections until they are perfect. That is dedication!”
