Eight years later, the Chapel Hill High School freshman is practicing almost daily as part of the demonstration team. Most of her friends are Bulldogs teammates. And when she's not working on her own moves, she's helping younger kids develop their own.

Jumping rope has taken her to Australia, South Africa, Japan, the Virgin Islands and more than a dozen states. It has also put her and some of her fellow team members in a documentary film, "Doubletime," which will be shown in Durham on Feb. 1.

The Bouncing Bulldogs caught the eye of Stephanie Johnes, 32, when she was a graduate student in UNC's School of Journalism and Mass Communication. A former gymnast, she appreciated the athleticism she saw in their rope jumping routines. The members turn two jump ropes at the same time -- double-dutch style -- while jumpers show off their speed, tumbling and freestyle skills to the timing of music.

When Johnes graduated in 2004, she picked up a video camera and started filming the documentary.

"Unless you've seen the film or seen the kids perform, words don't do justice to what a great sport it is," she said.

Her documentary, "Doubletime," premiered in Texas in March and has also been shown in New York. UNC's journalism school hosted a private showing late last year for the Bulldogs and their families.

The Feb. 1 feature is hosted by the Southern Documentary Fund, which helps documentary makers in the South receive grants and tax-free donations.

Ray Frederick, 50, created the Bouncing Bulldogs when he was a physical education teacher in Durham some 22 years ago. Since then, he has seen interest in the sport flourish to the point that he retired from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in October to focus on the team full time.

The team has 107 performing members. The total club consists of about 200 kids.

Frederick will take 11 children to Beijing for the Olympics to do shows. Last week, a team traveled to San Francisco to perform for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former President Bill Clinton and others raising awareness for a benefit project called Help Raise Healthy Children.

"We've stayed very humble and grounded because we never forget the local shows that we do," Frederick said. "I try to remind the kids of that. It gives you a voice to connect to the world to make the world a better place."

Even though he has seen the documentary three times, Frederick said he looks forward to watching it again. Each audience is different and something new stands out to him about the film. This time, he'll have relatives from his hometown, Shelby, watching with him.

The film highlights three of his older jumpers, including Erica.

"I share in the documentary that she's a pain to coach because she's a perfectionist," Frederick said.

Since then, he added, she's lightened up.

The Bouncing Bulldogs will perform at the Durham event, which will be the first public opportunity for North Carolinians to see the film.

"We've had a lot of people in the community who have supported us over the years," Frederick said. "We want them to have a chance to see it."