Jul 10, 2008 5:39 pm US/Eastern
Patriots Girls Train Olympic Cheerleaders In China
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
The New England Patriots cheerleaders practiced some international diplomacy last week, helping China train cheerleaders for the Olympic Games next month.
Hundreds of volunteers met with the Pats cheerleaders in training clinics from June 30 to July 4 in Beijing.
The Patriots cheerleaders taught them moves and how to communicate with the audience.
"Everyone knows cheerleading is a Western activity, but we hope we can find a Chinese way to do it (and) show the world," Chinese volunteer He He told the Monitor.
Many may find cheerleading an odd way for China to display their Olympic spirit, but cheering seems like it will be an area where China can thrive.
The Patriots cheerleading director, Tracy, said, "The perception of most Chinese people is really reserved and shy. We went into the room not knowing what to expect, and the dances were enthusiastic, energetic. They were great."
"We're teaching them 'how to entertain a wide crowd,' and for that, spirit and poisemanship matter more than the actual dance," Patriots cheerleader Carrie Binette told the Christian Science Monitor.
Language barriers did not interrupt this teaching. As put by the cheerleader's assistant director, "Dance is a universal language."
According to the official Beijing Olympic web site, the Chinese cheerleaders will train for five weeks for their Olympic debut. They'll appear "at every competition, acting not only as cheerleaders, but also as dancers and acrobats."
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