Pom

Brief history

Developed alongside cheerleading as part of school and college spirit programs. Now a major competitive category at NDA, UDA, and other competitions.

Key technique

• Sharp motions (the "hard stick" that judges reward)
• Strong arm placements
• Synchronization paramount (uniformity wins)
• Pom-pom handling (presentation, transitions)
• Foot precision (kicks, formations)
• Crowd-engaging energy

Performance characteristics

Sharp, clean, synchronized, visually striking. Emphasizes formations and visual "pictures." Music typically pop, hip-hop, mash-ups, often custom-edited.

How it's judged

Pom is the flagship dance-team category at NDA and UDA, and it is scored as a team event: judges reward the "hard stick" — motions that snap and freeze in perfect unison — along with synchronization, pom technique and visibility, formations and spacing, difficulty, and showmanship. As with all of dance, entries earn an absolute adjudication tier plus a relative Overall within their division and size. In the school/college lane this is also the rare place a true bid to Nationals exists.

Who it's for

Team-oriented dancers who love precision, energy, and crowd performance over solo spotlight. Pom is the heart of high school and collegiate dance teams and the most direct path toward pro-sports dance teams. A jazz foundation and clean motion technique are the building blocks.

Career paths

• Dance team (high school, college)
• Pro sports dance teams (NBA, NFL, etc.)
• Sometimes crossover with commercial dance

Common misconceptions

• "Pom is just shaking pom-poms" — false; high-level pom is technically demanding
• "Pom isn't real dance" — false; it has its own technique and tradition