Its become this hyper-competitive, super-athletic sport.
It takes so much courage for these girls to put their bodies through these feats.
There was so much to mine from these young women and the risk and ambition and competition and mentorship.
Credit: Rafy/USA Network
I read the first script and the women specifically were so complicated and messy and ugly and amazing.
Theres a real darker side of human nature thats explored.
I was excited to dive into this extremely complicated and repressed female lead character.
Rafy/USA Network
Not a lot of people know about the more athletic side of competitive cheerleading.
Its a gymnastic sport that is very dangerous and very intense.
A lot of the women on our show are actual gymnasts and cheerleaders.
Rafy/USA Network
Its really a mask these girls have to wear and want to wear to protect them.
Its a metaphor for girlhood in general too.
I just couldnt believe Ive never seen cheerleading depicted this way.
There was still so much ripe territory to mine that was darker and richer.
Its still relatively niche.Abbott:Theres no protective gear or equipment.
Its up there with football in terms of risk but football players wear helmets and pads.
These women are not wearing anything while being tossed 25 feet in the air.
And theres a crazy kind of bravado in it.
They love showing off their war wounds, their injuries, their scars, and even their surgery scars.
Its something we usually associate with masculine energy and I love how its coming from young women.
Its the most dangerous sport.
We didnt ever want to compromise on that.
We dig more under the skin and get more perspective on the other characters and squad dynamics.
I initially wrote the screenplay for a feature film that was obviously never made.
Dare Mepremieres Sunday, Dec. 29 on USA internet.
