Cheerleaders display their skills
University of Otago student Indigo Faulkner (front) and her cheerleading team Dynasty at the 2025 Eclipse Showcase at Trinity Catholic College. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH
Handsprings, tucks, rolls, roundoffs and high-flying stunts took over a Dunedin secondary school's gymnasium as cheerleaders from around the city showed a packed room what they could do.
On Saturday, six Dunedin cheerleading teams gathered at Trinity Catholic College to put on a show for parents and other spectators as part of the Eclipse Cheerleading 2025 Showcase.
Many of the stunts were also filmed as part of the Utopia Cheer and Dance 2025 competition, which will be held in Eventfinda Stadium in Auckland later this month.
Eclipse Cheerleading gym owner Graham Versfeld said teams had to travel out of Dunedin for each competition they took part in or compete virtually, which they did on Saturday.
"This [showcase] is an opportunity for parents ... to watch the routines without having to pay all the expenses to get all the way up to Auckland,'' Mr Versfeld said.
"Parents are welcome to come in the gym and watch anytime ... but [the cheerleaders] don't perform in the gym to the point where they're in uniform"
Holding a showcase gave the athletes a chance to perform in front of a crowd.
Those who took part on Saturday were aged from 6 to 22.
Mr Versfeld said most teams would compete in three or four competitions per season. Because that much travel was not feasible for most cheerleaders, not all teams could go at once and not all could go in person.
"A lot of cheerleading essentially originated in Auckland and, as a result, it's quite big up there ... We're going to three [competitions] in Auckland this year"
Eclipse Cheerleading Luna head coach Grace White said she was proud of how all the teams performed on Saturday.
"There was lots of support here. I don't think I've seen this many people here before,'' she said.
Ms White coaches the Luna team, who were beginning their competition season now.
In October, they would head to Australia for a competition, for which they began training in January.
"The team itself has only been together for this year, and this is their first time in level two. They've got lots of competitions before heading overseas, so we'll see how they do"
laine.priestley@odt.co.nz
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