WEARING revealing tank tops, the cheerleaders waved their pompoms non-stop and danced with gusto - if only to stay warm in the basketball arena.

While these Chinese cheerleaders from the Soojin Dance Troupe admit that they cannot compete with the athleticism or curvaceous physiques of their American counterparts, they try to stand out with unique outfits.

Purple hot pants with matching slouchy leg warmers, glittery silver suspenders, gauzy Middle Eastern-style skirts, white ruffled halter tops and shimmery bras are packed into large black fabric bags stacked along one wall of the office.

A favourite is a super-short version of a traditional Chinese dress - Velcro fasteners allow it to be ripped off to reveal a skimpier costume underneath.

Nineteen-yearold rookie Song Xueqing has not fully explained the job to her family.

Her parents live down south and have yet to see her perform.

"I just told them that I joined the Soojin Dance team. I said, 'Why don't you take a look online?"' said Song, grinning.

"They looked, and my grandma, who's really old-fashioned, said, 'Look at those girls wearing outfits with their bellies showing!' And so I didn't say anything.

"If my grandma saw the clothes I was wearing, she'd go crazy!"

Still, audience reception to their routines is lukewarm at best.

Maybe the Beijing Olympic Games in August can change things.

"I don't know if it's because of Chinese people's personalities or maybe because basketball culture isn't so ingrained that they're still scared to let loose," cheerleader Li Qi, from the Soojin Dance troupe, said.

"We're used to it. That's just how it is."

The Olympics are a huge celebration of national pride, and organisers are encouraging ordinary Chinese to play a role.

Along with more than a million volunteer applicants and retirees learning English to communicate with foreign visitors, cheerleaders also are eager to leave a mark. - AP