Chinese cheerleaders with fans and nunchuks

Lam Thuy Vo of the Wall Street Journal discovers that China has been training close to 600 women in the art of cheerleading with the help of cheerleaders from the New England Patriots, the U.S. football team, and Chinese choreographers. The ladies were selected in 24 competitions nationwide and will be cheering at every Olympic event — and not just basketball and volleyball events. Intent on injecting Chinese characteristics into what is otherwise an all-American art, the girls will be twirling not just be twirling pompoms but also Chinese fans and nunchuks! That first sequence you see in the vid also reminds of this particular Chinese dance.