McKayla England from Clarksville Academy in Clarksville, Tennessee is one of more than 650 high school cheerleaders and dancers from across the U.S. who will be representing Varsity Spirit in the world famous London New Year’s Day Parade.
The individuals invited to perform in the parade qualified for the trip after being nominated as an All-American at one of the summer camps hosted by Varsity Spirit.
All-Americans are selected to try out based on superior cheerleading, dancing and leadership skills at camps across the country. Only the top 10% of the more than 325,000 cheerleaders and dancers who attend the 5,000 Varsity summer camp sessions earn the chance to march in the holiday spectacular.
McKayla will be among parade performers from all over the world. The theme of this year’s parade is “Lights, Camera, Action” and will pay homage to the wonders of film and television. Cheerleaders, dancers, marching bands, acrobats and more will make up the 10,000 performers representing 20 countries worldwide in the 2017 parade. Established as one of London’s biggest events, the parade is seen by nearly 300 million people around the world. In addition to cheering in the parade, All-Americans will be able to celebrate the holiday’s European style with the chance to tour some of London’s most historic sites during their seven-day stay.
“This is the 30th year we’ve been able to bring these talented cheerleaders and dancers to London, where they can showcase their skills to a very enthusiastic international audience, and explore the rich cultural heritage of this great city,” says Mike Fultz, the International Event Coordinator for Varsity Spirit.