What would Dunedin appreciate? University of Otago student
and dancer Jennifer Robinson believes the city would like a
cheerleading squad which she hopes to establish today.
Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Come on everybody, get up out of your seat - Dunedin's
newest cheerleading squad will be a treat that can't be beat.
Despite the squad not having a name, or a team to cheer for,
University of Otago student and dancer Jennifer Robinson is
counting on the new Forsyth Barr Stadium and the Rugby World
Cup to generate demand in Dunedin for her new cheerleading
squad.
The 19-year-old will be holding auditions for places on the
15-person squad at Alhambra-Union's North Ground today at 6pm
and, so far, about 30 people have signalled interest in
joining.
Once it is established, Miss Robinson hopes to market the
squad to perform at Otago Rugby Football Union, Basketball
Otago and Netball Otago sporting events as well as community
events.
She leapt into action to build a squad in Dunedin after
arriving at the University of Otago to study law and
accounting, and found there was no cheerleading team here.
Miss Robinson said she had been doing tap, jazz,
contemporary, cabaret and Latin dancing for 14 years in
Hamilton.
But cheerleading was her favourite dance style.
"I like the atmosphere cheerleading brings. I like how it
gets people into the spirit of a game. Who hasn't had fun
watching cheerleaders?"
While the aim of the squad was to generate pride, passion and
entertainment at sporting events, she warned the squad would
not be for the faint of heart.
"We're not just going to be a whole lot of blonde girls
shaking our pompoms. We'll be trained dancers who have been
dancing for years. This is a serious discipline."
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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