Two weeks ago, at the annual Cheerleading Worlds— the Super Bowl of spirit competitions—spectators held their breath when the squad from China's Nanning Middle School No. 26 took the mat. In its first international competition last year, the team performed a bizarre routine, waving Chinese flags and streamers. The judges were stupefied, and Nanning didn't advance beyond the preliminary round. "It was not really cheerleading per se," says Karl Olson of the U.S. All Star Federation (USASF), which hosts the tournament. "It was more of a cultural performance." This time around, though, the Chinese put on a dazzling show, full of high-flying acrobatics and exhilarating tumbling passes. The crowd in Orlando oohed and aahed, and gave the team a standing ovation. "It was night and day," said Olson.
展开▼
