An irreplaceable opportunity: Cheerleader cheers in London New Year’s Parade

Senior Jillian Bellamy huddled with the rest of the cheer team last August They sat in the gymnasium at UC Davis, as the camp staff began to announce names. As each name was shouted, the suspense and anxiety grew. Is she going to make it? Her name still hasn’t been called — just when she thought she was  going to miss it — she heard “Jillian Bellamy!”

Bellamy had been selected for All-American, a chance to perform with hundreds of other cheerleaders from the U.S. in the 2015 London New Year’s day parade.

The United Cheerleading Association (UCA) cheer camp that the cheer team attend every August holds All-American tryouts. These tryouts are for any high school cheerleaders interested in traveling to London for a week during winter break to perform at the London New Year’s Day Parade. Each school is allowed to have six cheerleaders try out or all of their seniors.  

This past summer, six of Saratoga’s seniors tried out; only Bellamy, Uma Kumar and Megan Marshall were accepted. Due to prior commitments, Bellamy was the only one able to travel to London.

“I was really excited and relieved [when I found out I made it] because I thought I had messed up and wouldn’t make it,” said Marshall. “It was a really great feeling.”

The tryout consists of performing a dance and cheer learned two days prior. Cheerleaders also have to show off two  their best jumps. The UCA staff judges and decides who made it, making the announcement the following day.

The girls are required to pay for their own flights, uniforms and hotel rooms in London, so Bellamy elected to give up her end-of-senior-year trip in order to attend the event.

Around 1,200 American cheerleaders including Bellamy went to London as part of the group. The girls had already learned and drilled the dance they would be performing in the parade prior to flying to London.

“A lot of the girls were there by themselves, like my roommate, who I became really good friends with,” Bellamy said. “Everyone was really friendly; I didn’t have a hard time making friends at all.”

Outside of having one practice to cement formations and ripples, the girls spent their time in London sight-seeing. They visited tourist attractions such as Big Ben, The London Eye and Buckingham Palace.

“I liked all the sightseeing, but actually being in the parade was a really different experience,” said Bellamy. “I think everyone on the cheer team should try out, and if they make it, they should definitely go. It was something I would never be able to experience otherwise.”