A teenage girl, dressed all in red, performing on an outdoor stage in the evening sunshine at a ‘Miss Cheerleader USA’ contest at Cypress Gardens, Polk County, Florida, USA in 1968. She is singing (or cheering or chanting) accompanied by a band (bottom left), with photographers in attendance at the front of a sizeable audience. This image is from an old American Kodak amateur colour transparency – a vintage 1960s photograph.
A teenage girl, dressed all in red, performing on an outdoor stage in the evening sunshine at a ‘Miss Cheerleader USA’ contest at Cypress Gardens, Polk County, Florida, USA in 1968. She is singing (or cheering or chanting) accompanied by a band (bottom left), with photographers in attendance at the front of a sizeable audience. Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants cheer on their team. This can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to entertain the audience or for competition. Routines typically range from one to three minutes, and can involve tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, singing and stunting. At first cheerleading was mainly performed by men. It was not until World War II that women dominated this activity. It thrived and the National Cheerleaders Association was established in the USA a few years after the war. Its founder, Laurence ‘Herkie’ Hurkimer, greatly contributed towards its development and popularity. In 1965 Fred Gasoff invented the modern pom-poms, which are a major attribute of cheerleading. Its popularity has continued to rise, and the performers have supported not only American football or basketball teams, but many other sports. This image is from an old American Kodak amateur colour transparency. It will look soft if used at too large a size – a vintage 1960s photograph.
Size: 3543px × 2398px
Location: Cypress Gardens, Polk County, Florida, USA
Photo credit: © M&N / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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