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Overview
This photo shows the Majorettes in action, with Shirley Cross at the front leading the team. Marching is a uniquely New Zealand activity which developed as a competitive sport in the 1920s and quickly gained popularity. Marching teams were established throughout the country, and in 1945 the New Zealand Marching Association was established to oversee national competitions and encourage the development of the sport.
Teams of up to ten, guided by a leader who issued whistle commands, aimed to give the impression that they were moving as one, with points given for precision, energy, and uniforms. Shirley not only established and led the Majorettes, she also designed the team’s uniforms, which like most marching costumes were sharply tailored and designed to be dramatic.
References:
- Macdonald, Charlotte. 1993. ‘Organisations in Sport, Recreation and Leisure.’ In Women Together: A History of Women’s Organisations in New Zealand Ngā Rōpū Wāhine o te Motu, edited by Anne Else, 405-417. Wellington: Daphne Brasell Associates.
- Macdonald, Charlotte. 2013. Marching teams and cheerleaders. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/marching-teams-and-cheerleaders