Cheerleaders have been performing exciting stunts since University of Minnesota women joined the previously all-male cheerleading teams in the 1920s, according to the International Cheer Union. Beginning in 1974, the Universal Cheerleaders Association began introducing cheerleading-specific skills to the American public, such as partner stunts and pyramids to make cheerleading more entertaining. Stunts have continued to evolve, changing the foundation of cheerleading from merely chants emanating from the sideline to a spectacular athletic event.
Basket Tosses
Basket tosses are some of the most visually exciting stunts modern cheerleaders perform to except the crowd. Two or more cheerleaders act as a base, interlocking their hands to create a basket from which to toss another cheerleader, or flyer, into the air. The flyer might strike a pose while in midair before base members catch her. No more than four bases may participate in a basket toss, according to the U.S. All Star Federation. Variations include twist cradles, where the flyer turns 360 degrees in the air, or double twist cradles, which include two full rotations in the air.
Partner Stunts
Cheerleaders team up to perform partner stunts in which one person lifts another into the air. Two-person teams typically consist of a male base and a female flyer. Cheerleaders categorize partner stunts as one- or two-legged. Stunts include variations in each category. Pyramids are several partner stunts connected by cheerleaders holding hands or building multiple levels.
Liberty Variations
One or more bases hold the flyer by her right foot while she holds her left leg bent at a 90-degree angle, touching her left toe to her right knee. She might raise one arm in a Statue of Liberty pose, and might turn a liberty into a heel stretch by grabbing her left heel and straightening her left leg, so that her foot is near her head. She can transform a heel stretch into a bow and arrow by sticking her right arm and torso through the hole her left leg created. An arabesque is similar to a liberty, except the flyer stretches her leg behind her and puts her arms out in a "T" position.
Dismounts
Cheerleading squads can add exciting dismounts in which bases catch and release flyers in interesting ways. A flyer might assume a pike position, bent at the hips with straight arms and legs, and might even add a flip on the way down. Flyers perform a tick-tock by starting on her left foot, performing an aerial maneuver and landing on her right foot. Flyers perform a deadman dismount by falling forward or backward from the top of a pyramid into the awaiting base members' arms.
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