By Nazia Hafiz
Cheerleading’s become more than some spirited encouragement from a bunch of pretty young things, waving their pom poms at football sidelines. Founders of the art form come sport, Varsity, have transformed cheerleading into the highly disciplined and competitive exercise it is today, and just to prove a point, have released a no holds barred documentary titled American Cheerleader, showcasing just how hardcore it can really get.
Filming leads up from day 119 prior to the Finals of the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship 2013, and follows the stories of two high school teams, Burlington from New Jersey and Southwestern from Kentucky as they train for the event. Burlington have dominated the last two years and hope for a third national win (or three-peat), whilst Southwestern placed fourth last year due to a major routine mishap, and are hoping to secure a win.
Directors David Barba and James Pellerito have approached the film in a well rounded and surprisingly balanced way. Audiences will find themselves more informed about how the sport works, how competitions are scored and how teams are structured. For those who’ve scoffed at the idea of cheerleading being deemed as a sport, it only takes a glance at a two and a half minute routine of fast paced aerobics/gymnastics where girls tumble, flip, throw and climb on top of each other, to realise how physical it is and the hours put into training to ‘hit’ every mark.
It’s refreshing to see stereotypes generated by commercial fluff like Bring it On being broken down through simply getting to know each high flyer and senior better and hearing their stories. Patriotism has been pushed aside to reveal a group of strong young women who have dealt with personal loss, all kinds of horrible injuries and social stigmas with surprising maturity and grace. The documentary also delves into the past of each teams mentors, uncovering a tight knit supportive community of empowered women who have leaned on each other in times of hardship.
The sincerity of the tales told, backed up by a history steeped in tradition, which continues to evolve from the contributions of the partnership between Varsity’s CEO Jeff Webb and Lawrence Herkimer, result in a film that is both educational and moving.
Review Score: THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
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