Nothing captivates an audience like an expertly executed heel lift, performed with smiling grace. Achieving that grace requires a lot of work. With practice, you’ll be able to make the heel lift feel as natural and effortless as breathing.
Obviously, this move requires great flexibility. Make sure you are fully warmed up and as flexible as possible before practicing.
1. Stand with all your weight on one leg, keeping it slightly bent for balance. Move your “heel” leg back as if you were preparing to kick a soccer ball.
2. Lean your torso forward a little and kick the imaginary ball, but keep it on course. Raise your leg as high as possible. As a beginner, you may need to give your leg a hand, grabbing your heel and pulling your foot toward your face. Do not grab the toes or any other part of the foot. Use your left hand to grab your left heel, right hand for your right heel.
3. Once you have a firm grip on your heel, continue to pull it toward you until your leg is parallel to your torso and at a right angle to the ground.
4. Keep smiling, be graceful, and don’t show the slightest sign of strain as you raise the arm that isn’t holding the leg up in the air. Hold this arm next to your head so that it is against your ear.
5. Now it’s time to say hello. With your elbow locked in place, angle your arm slightly forward, then rotate it as you move it away from your body. If you’re lifting your left heel, you’ll move your left arm to the right of your body; the right arm swings to the left as you lift the right heel.
Tips: Keep the leg you’re standing on at a right angle to the ground. If you have long legs, keep your hand under your heel. If your legs are short, keep your hand above your heel. Under no circumstances should you hold onto your toes, as this could throw you off balance.
Remember to always dress in the correct practice clothing for comfort and safety. Campus TeamWear has matching lycra tops and skirts with attached shorts, perfect for movement, stunting, and flips. Remember to wear the correct cheerleading shoes for practice. Asics has a great line of well-supported shoes that are made for stunting, and for those who want a style that’s a little more affordable, the Chasse line of cheerleading shoes has perfect shoes for gymnastics because of the support and the grip.