Brits give cheerleading a try

LONDON — In a country of polite clappers, where even a standing ovation at the theater is an anomaly, CeCe Smith-Williams' desire to be an American-style cheerleader at her British college initially didn't go over too well.

"The team spirit is much more reserved over here," she said.

But that's rapidly changing.

Thanks to the popularity of Disney's "High School Musical" films and the introduction of American-style football in Europe, girls across Britain are taking to the U.S.-born mix of dance and gymnastics.

Elementary schools across Britain have introduced after-school cheerleading clubs. Fitness centers nationwide have launched cheerleading classes for spirited adults. "High School Musical" birthday parties are the rage among British children featuring "High School Musical" cakes — available in most grocery stores — as well as cheerleading.

The annual European Cheerleading Championships, held earlier this year in Slovenia, attracted more than 1,500 competitors from 14 countries, including Britain.

And perhaps most telling of all: a third of all universities in the United Kingdom now maintain cheerleading squads.

After successfully establishing a cheerleading squad at her college, Warwick University, Smith-Williams decided to open her own business last year. The Cheerleading Company offers classes, coaching, kids' parties, and corporate team-building events. The London-based firm also is behind the Pineapple Cheerleaders, a professional 18-member squad that performs across the country.

"Everyone wants to be a cheerleader even if they don't want to admit it," she said.

Cheerleading is the UK's fastest-growing sport, according to Sian Todd, director of Dance and Cheer 49 in Bristol, England, which runs cheerleading clubs at dozens of schools.

Still, there are differences between cheering in the U.S. and in Britain.

"I think the clothing at competitions is very different. We don't seem to be allowed the same kind of glitz and glam that I've seen in the States," Todd said.

"Also, we do have some cheerleaders at sporting events but far less than in America. I know some rugby clubs here have some but these clubs are in the minority."

Britons have been exposed to American cheerleaders when National Football League teams played a regular-season game there, as they have the past two seasons. "I think cheerleading's definitely become more popular in the UK with the release of feel-good films like 'Bring It On' and 'High School Musical,"' she said.

Dorinda Hickey, a London mother of three, said her children's Catholic school has just started an after-school cheerleading club.

"I'm surprised at how gymnastic and sporty it is, which I think is good," she said. "But it also strikes me as being really silly and girlie with all that head-shaking and pompoms."