NFL cheerleading

The members participate in practice, training camp, games, appearances, photo shoots, and charity events.

An anticipated annual event is the release of each squad's calendar, featuring members for each month in swimsuits or uniforms.

In 1996, the San Francisco 49ers Cheerleaders and their director helicoptered into the war inflicted country of Bosnia with the USO and the U.S. Army.

Over the years, the tour has featured NFL cheerleaders from the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington.

[citation needed] The winners were Shiona Baum and Jeannie Fritz, and each received a car as the grand prize.

"[citation needed] The final competition was a one-minute dance routine, similar to what they normally perform on NFL sidelines.

[citation needed] The San Diego Chargers team (Casie and Shantel) defeated the Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams squads to win the overall championship.

[29] The incident later became a nationwide news story, led to a federal anti-discrimination case,[30] and was spoofed on a November 1979 episode of Mork & Mindy.

[32][33][34][35][36][37][38] Male NFL cheerleaders as dancers for the past few decades have been rare due to social norms and marketability.

The Dallas Cowboys introduced the Rhythm & Blue Dancers, founded by Charlotte Jones and directed by Jenny Durbin Smith, becoming the first co-Ed dance team in NFL history.

They perform every home game on stage, half-time and sideline with their dynamic hip hop dancing, stunting, freestyle and tumbling.

They are also responsible for the first NFL Drum Corp and in 2017 created a 7-16 year old co-Ed hip hop dance team Dallas Cowboys Rookie Squad.

[48] In addition, several cheerleaders have sued their respective teams for violating minimum wage laws, mistreatment from management, exploitative rules and behaviors, sexual harassment, and groping.

[citation needed] Also, NFL cheerleading squads have been used as advocates from their teams for female empowerment or LGBT rights.