Of all the colors in the Big Dome that day, maroon stood out.

          The University of Santo Tomas Salinggawi Dance Troupe(SDT) failed to defend their UAAP Cheer Dance Competition championship title, as the University of the Philippines (UP) Pep Squad brought home the title this year with a 0.5 margin in the scores, during the dance-off last September 16 at the jampacked Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. 

          SDT, with a ‘retro’-theme came second with 92.16 points. The 5-peat champions for this year was dethroned by the UP Pep Squad who garnered 92. 66 with their rock-themed cheer dance. The Far Eastern University Pep Squad (FEUPS) came third with 91.66 and bagged P69,000 as prize.

          The Espana-based dance troupe, choreographed by Ryan Silva, won the championship title five-straight times from 2002 to 2006.

          Champs UP Pep Squad grabbed the championship in 2001. This year, they won a trophy and the top prize of P172,500, aside from clenching the thirst of the championship title.

          This is the UP Pep Squad’s 4th championship title, after their 3-peat from 1999-2001. UST-SDT already won eight titles since the Cheer Dance Competition was established in 1995.

          The five other schools were ranked as: Ateneo de Manila University Blue Bubble Battalion - 4th; Adamson University Pep Squad -5th; University of the East Pep Squad – 6th; De La Salle University Pep Squad -7th;  National University Pep Squad - 8th.

          The cheer dance was judged according to choreography (50%), synchronization (30 %), audience audibility (10 %) and costume(10 %). By Aika Pascual