While most of us were snug in our beds, slowly being awakened by the aromas of our Thanksgiving Day meals, cheerleaders around the USA were awake and bright eyed as they prepared for Thanksgiving Day Parades in some of the biggest cities across the nation. They were touching up their makeup, making sure their hair was parade perfect and getting their bodies warm for their big performances. These cheerleaders are the cream of the crop.

The individuals invited to perform in the parade were cheerleading and dance All-Americans selected from Varsity Spirit’s summer camps throughout the country, including Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA), Universal Dance Association (UDA), National Cheerleaders Association (NCA), and National Dance Alliance (NDA). All-Americans were selected via tryout based on the superior cheerleading or dance skills they showed at camp. Only the top 10% of the cheerleaders and dancers who attended Varsity camps earned the chance to march in a holiday parade of this caliber.

All-Americans had the opportunity to cheer along side floats, hot air balloons, marching bands and in front of a crowd of more than 200,000 spectators and a television audience as they made their way through the streets of downtown.

Simran Athavale, a middle school cheerleader at Sartartia Middle School and an All Star Cheerleader at Victory Vipers in Sugarland, Texas takes us behind the scenes of one of the biggest American Thanksgiving Day parades. She fills us in on rehearsals, the uniforms and her best memories as she performed on this national day of thanks!

How did you get the opportunity to be in the parade?

At NCA camp for school cheer, I got nominated to try out for the All American team. The last day of camp I found out I had made it and All American cheerleaders have the opportunity to be in the parade. I was so excited!

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Did you have any preparing that you had to do prior to the parade?

Prior to the parade, we were sent a disc in the mail with the dance tutorial on it. We had to practice and master the routine by the first day of rehearsal.

Photo: Swati Athavale

Describe what rehearsals were like...the location, the atmosphere, the other cheerleaders, the instructors.

At rehearsal, everyone was really high spirited and energetic and the instructors were really thorough when teaching us the changes they decided to make to the choreography. Overall, it was a really positive environment and it was fun to be there.

Tell us about some of the other cheerleaders you met and where they were from?

For the dance routine, we were put into groups of ten, therefore I got to talk to cheerleaders from different places. Some of the girls I met were from Dallas, San Marcos, Baton Rouge, and Oklahoma.

Photo: Swati Athavale

We heard that one of your relatives was also selected from another school in a different town. What was it like to share this with your cousin?

I had the privilege of being able to do the parade with my cousin, Sayali. I am very happy that this was possible because lots of cheerleaders knew each other, since they were on the same squad. My cousin and I were the only ones picked from our squads, so we didn't know anyone. It was really fun to have someone to talk to and share the experience with.

What kind of choreography did you have to learn and how much time did you have to master it?

We had to learn a dance routine-- it wasn't very challenging however it had a lot of detail. We had about a month to learn the choreography.

What's your best memory from the parade?

My best memory from the parade is when I saw a few little girls throughout the parade when we were dancing, looking like they where amazed by us, and wanted to do it too. It was really motivating and it helped keep my energy up.

In real life there's always an unexpected mishap that occurs...did you have anything like that happen to you?

While performing the dance, the music cut in and out, but for the most part it went smoothly.

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The morning of the parade, I had to wake up at four in the morning and get ready. It was kind of hard to wake up, but it was definitely worth it.

What was the weather like the morning of the parade? Did it affect your performance?

The weather was a little cloudy and breezy which made it easier to perform without sweating or being soaked in the rain.

Did you have any "15 seconds of fame" moments during the parade?

I don't think so-- there were over 350 cheerleaders there, so it was difficult to focus on just one.

I'm sure you've had many uniforms thru the years...what's your favorite part of THIS uniform?

My favorite part of the uniform was how comfortable it was. In competitive cheer, our uniforms tend to be kind of tight and itchy but these were comfortable and easy to move in.

Tell us what your family thinks about you participating in this event...

My family was very proud of me because this was an opportunity not many people were offered. They were very supportive!

Were there any additional perks provided with your participation? Did you get to attend any special events in conjunction with the parade?

We didn't attend any special events, but we got to go to the parade rehearsal which was really cool. That was the first time I realized how much work goes into pulling off an amazing parade.

Photo: 66th Annual HEB Thanksgiving Day Parade

Besides getting to perform what was your favorite thing you saw in the parade?

My favorite thing I saw was the turkey float! It was so festive and big!

Do you have any advice for other cheerleaders who might participate in the Thanksgiving day parade in the future?

Make sure to practice the dance beforehand as much as possible! The parade is a really fun and unique experience overall. Make sure to smile, be sharp, energetic, and have fun!