The International Cheer Union’s World Cheerleading Championships, which attract the best teams from all over the world, were held on April 25 and 26 in Florida, in the U. S. A., and J. F. Oberlin’s cheer dance team, Cream, took second place in the Jazz Division. Then from April 27 to 29, also in Florida, they competed in the International All-Star Federation Dance Worlds, where they landed fourth place in the Open Jazz Division while Cream’s B team took third in the Pom Division.

The B team, competing in the Dance Worlds for just the first time, carried the hopes not only of their current members but also of past members who had never had the chance to compete at this level. Although the Pom Division is known for its lively dance moves, the B team also tried to express such qualities as quiet and even anger in their dancing, creating their own unique style.

Meanwhile, the A team, using the same Cirque du Soleil song in both competitions, aimed to illustrate the theme of “bringing people together.” They gave it all they had, hoping to create a sense of connection between past and present members, coaches, and their audience. Aya Saito, Cream’s captain and a fourth-year student in the College of Business Management, commented, “We made some small mistakes in the preliminary rounds, but they were crucial. At the highest levels of competition, nothing but perfection is good enough, and you need to have a voracious desire to reach the pinnacle of success.”