Bringing It Back
The sassy sequel to the blockbuster Bring It On will bring some cheer to your new year!
By Jen Jones
Issue: February 2004 (American Cheerleaders Magazine)
 

What self-respecting cheer fanatic hasn’t seen Bring It On? After all, the movie proved that cheerleading wasn’t just for show, but for strength. (Not to mention that it introduced terms like “spirit fingers” and “cheer-tator” to the masses!) This AC exclusive takes you inside the making of the sequel that continues to give cheerleading the recognition it deserves. Read on for the scoop on Bring It On Again!

Making The Cut
The decision to make a sequel to the runaway hit was pretty much a no-brainer, but finding the right leading ladies to fill the original actresses’ cheer shoes was no small task. After a careful casting process, the heirs apparent to the Bring It On throne were selected: actresses Anne Judson-Yager, Bree Turner and Faune A. Chambers. Get to know ’em below:

The 411 On The Flick
While the original flick focused on the fierce high school rivalry between the East Compton Clovers and the Rancho Carne Toros, the sequel takes it up a notch and sets the new squad at the college level.

Here’s the sitch: Freshmen roommates Whittier and Monica arrive at Southern California State University determined to join the champion Mustang cheer team. Despite a rigorous tryout, both make the squad, but they soon learn that the catty captain Tina (shades of Big Red, anyone?) is way out of control.

When Tina finally takes it too far, Whittier and Monica branch out in protest and assemble their own team, the Renegades. The problem? None of the Renegades have a cheer clue! It’s their mission to become the best they can be and beat the Mustangs at their own game. Do they succeed and go on to nationals? We’re not telling, but you’ll have a blast when you watch to find out!

Learning To Fly
With the plot in place and the actresses ready for action, the movie was poised to start filming. Real-life cheerleaders from several all-star squads and schools like UCLA, University of Kentucky and Indiana University were recruited to complete the movie’s dream team, but throw some actors in the mix who’ve never cheered before and choreographer Tony Gonzalez had his work cut out for him.

Tony wasn’t fazed by the daunting task of getting these newbies camera-ready within a few short weeks. After all, he’s worked with the best of the best, choreographing music videos for Jewel and Snoop Dogg and coaching college teams like University of Memphis and Indiana University.

But as we all know, getting in tip-top performance shape is no small feat. So how else to shape up a squad in two weeks but boot camp, of course! For eight hours a day for 12 days, the actors practiced facials, stunting, motions and the flashy dance routines that would make the movie so exciting to watch. Tony also put a strong emphasis on the essence of cheerleading. “We focused on expressions, attitudes and how people treat each other in a competitive environment,” he says. “I wanted them to believe in and be their characters. The boot camp was all about being a cheerleader and executing it.”

The actresses were asked to perform their own stunts (no stuntwomen for these dare-divas!), so Tony wasted no time getting the ladies up to speed on their technique. Basket Tosses, Liberties and toss to Hands became part of their everyday vocabulary and regime.

“My very first day at boot camp, I was up in the air,” laughs Anne. “Flying is a great feeling! You have to trust your bases underneath you and I was like, ‘Hi, what’s your name again?’ But I got used to it.”

Though Bree was a high school cheerleader, this was her first stunting experience. “I was always too tall to be a flyer and didn’t have enough muscle to be a base,” she laments. “Faune and I were tough chicks but it took us about a week to get over the phobia of being lifted. We’d look at each other as we were on the shoulders of beefy guys thinking we were going to kill ourselves! It was all about confidence-building. By the end, I realized the guys weren’t going to let me fall.”

The hard work paid off and the final product is jam-packed with five sensational performances. While the Renegades display a more progressive and dance-infused style of cheer, the Varsity Mustangs stick with a more traditional approach in their stunting and cheers. This combination makes for some of the best cheer action caught on film—second only to its predecessor.