This article was written by Vanessa Ryals, class of 2018.
While some students found themselves in Times Square New Year’s Eve to watch the ball drop or spent the night with friends and family watching it from afar on a television screen, academy sophomore Erin Pyper took an untraditional approach to ringing in the New Year. She spent it with the All-American cheer team in London, England.
“We performed on Piccadilly Circus – the Times Square of London,” Pyper said. “I honestly didn’t think I’d get chosen for it.”
Pyper won the designation of Varsity All-American Cheerleader this past summer after attending the National Cheerleaders’ Association (NCA) cheer camp at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) and being selected by a panel of expert judges.
“She selected me because my motions were sharp. The team consisted of five girls including me,” said Pyper.
In London, the team cheered alongside more than 10,000 other performers before a street-side audience of more than one million. The parade was broadcast on RFD-TV in the U.S. and across U.K. to an additional 20 million viewers worldwide.
At Heritage, Pyper is a committed member of the JV Cheer Team, but her experience in London will stick with her throughout the rest of her cheer career.
“It made me more confident to make new friends and see how everyone was really proud of me,” she said.
