LAUREN CHEER CHARACTER LEXI

TRAINING is intense for Lauren Burke, who has been a member of the Scottish Rockettes Pro-Dance Team for five years.

Lauren, 24, from Falkirk, has been cheerleading since she was 10 and was inspired by the 2000 film Bring It On.

“The stunts and tumbles and pretty outfits were mesmerising to watch,” she said.

She switched from competitive cheerleading to performing with the Rockettes.

“I thought it would be easier. Boy was I wrong,” she said, laughing. “The training for the Rockettes is so intense. You’re paid to be professional, so there’s so much more expected of you.

“I train three hours, three times a week – so that’s nine hours.

“We do an awful lot of fitness work and technique. You want it to look effortless but we do work really hard.

“We get booked in for events and gigs and we cheer for Glasgow Rocks basketball team as well.

“We are all very fit but at training you can feel like you’re going to be sick and pass out and it never gets easier. Every time you get fitter,

Carole Anne [Deeney, the Rockettes manager] pushes you harder.

“With competitive cheer you’re on a sprung floor but I will turn up to a corporate event and Carole Anne will say, ‘Can you do four backflips in that little space?’

“You need to whip it out the bag when you need it.

“Everyone can relate to the Cheer series. I’m quite like Lexi. She’s amazing, the best tumbler in the team but quite chilled out and likes to party as well – a bit like myself.

“The coach keeps checks on her and makes sure she’s not partying too much, a bit like Carole Anne does with me.

“I do a lot of dance teaching, dance, gymnastics and cheer as well and I also manage Stirling nightclub Dusk.

“Cheerleading is good for mental health and physical health.

“For years the impression of cheerleaders was girls who like to wear make-up and shake pom-poms but it is so much more than that.

“The TV show Cheer is an insight into the teams and what’s on the inside rather than the pretty side of it.”