By Jennifer Uselton
The Spirit Celebration Christmas Classic in Dallas, Texas on December 19 and 20 will have the attention of every cheerleader in the DFW metroplex, as well as the other diehard cheer competitors across the United States. Offering two full paid Worlds Bids and four At Large Bids for cheer and three partial Worlds Bids and five at large Worlds Bids for dance, it is a coveted and highly competitive competition for cheer and dance athletes. 

Photo: Champion Image

This is no ordinary cheer competition. The Christmas Classic is the place where the top cheer talent is as big and proud as the state of Texas itself. Teams from several surrounding states will flock to the Dallas Convention center in the hopes of earning a Worlds Bid that sends them to Orlando, Florida. These cheerleaders are extremely disciplined and spend 24/7 cultivating their talent. These athletes give 100% of their time, energy and attention to fine-tuning their stunts, jumps and tumbling passes so that they can be labeled the best of the best. They sweat glitter, stretch constantly, and are dedicated to training hard on that blue mat so that they can live out their passion for cheer under the bright lights on center stage. 

The Spirit Celebration Christmas Classic has supplied the venue and the opportunity for this fierce competition and the event itself will not disappoint. But in the spirit of the holidays, the Spirit Celebration Christmas Classic will offer more than just a competition, they will also offer the opportunity to give back to the community and spread holiday cheer. Last year this event gathered over 4,000 toys to be donated between The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, the Dallas Association of The Deaf, and the I Can Still Shine Program that services victims of domestic violence. Mirroring the true nature of the cheerleader he is, Billy Smith, the CEO of Spirit Celebration, wants to double that number and he is encouraging cheerleaders and spectators to help him raise 10,000 toys for those in need. Spirit Celebration is offering discounts to every athlete and spectator who bring a toy to the event. 

Photo: Champion Image

The theme of the competition will recreate scenes from the movie A Christmas Story in the lobby. Cheerleaders can expect to see a winter wonderland of toy soldiers, pink bunny suits, leg lamps, and quite possibly a replica or two of a Red Ryder carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air-rifle. Even Santa will be in on the fun, sitting up high above the crowds, greeting children and sending them down his slide after warning them not to shoot their eye out after they tell him their secret wishes. Kids of all ages will enjoy the environment and their parents are sure to be nostalgic for a secret decoder or a big glass of Ovaltine. 

The theme so integrated that there is even a triple-dog-dare competition between the vendors of this event to see which one can have the most over the top decorations. But that is not where the hype of the Christmas Classic will end. All of the toys that are donated will help set the stage to build a grandiose entrance that will introduce more than 165 teams of fierce competitors who want to showcase their talent and leave their legacy on that blue mat. Cheerleaders will walk off the practice mat, and each athlete will make a grand entrance onto the competition floor as they walk through the golden doors, past the Toy Soldiers as they strut like divas through Toy Mountain. 

Cheer mavens and enthusiasts will be excited to watch the fast paced routines of their rivals and idols. Fans can expect to see celebrated programs like Oklahoma Twisters, Champion Cheer, East Texas Twisters, United Elite, and even Cheer Athletics, one of the most recognizable programs in the country, is bringing 34 of their best teams. This event will have cheerleaders from across the country glued to their social media sites in hope of catching a glimpse of the highly competitive routines that will later grace the stage at the Worlds in Orlando, Florida. The hype surrounding this event is electrifying and the skills of these top tier athletes will not let you down. 

The stands will be jam packed with parents, cheerleaders, dancers, and spectators from the Southwest region. If you don't live in the DFW or surrounding areas, that are accessible to the Dallas Convention Center, you can still be a part of this amazing event by watching it LIVE here on FloCheer as a Pro member. Don’t miss out on being a part of this dynamic and talent packed event. 

To find out more about the programs that will receive these toys you can visit: http://www.tsrhc.org to learn more about the Scottish Rite Texas Hospital for Children, http://dallasdeafclub.org/wp/ to read about the Dallas Association of the Deaf, and http://www.icanshine2.org to hear more about the faith based supportive care center that helps victims of domestic violence. To learn more about Spirit Celebration you can visit http://spiritcelebration.com/.