The BSM dance team, the renowned Knightettes, have started their winter competition season in full throttle with a huge season ahead of them.  Senior captains Cici Fortney, Megan Benson, Bailey Adams, and Ashley Zagaros are leading the back-to-back State championship team to a season of great promise.

The team itself doesn’t necessarily make the primary goal of their season to advance to the State tournament, but to come together as a team.  “As a team we love to dance with each other and every year we set a goal to create a good team dynamic,” said Benson.  

Fortney also agrees with Benson’s assertion.  “Yes we definitely want to focus on developing a foundation for a strongly bonded team.  We make great relationships with one another on and off the dance floor, and the rewards of our strongly bonded team come later,” Fortney said.

This year’s Knightettes have a tremendous amount of technical skill and dedication.  “What we love the most about our team is the work ethic, it really pays off,” said Benson.

In addition to this tremendous work ethic, the team stresses the mental aspect as just as important as well.  “We have a fearless mindset on our team, and our team has gotten so much stronger over the past few years.  We have great confidence in each other it intensifies every year,” Fortney said.

This year’s junior captains Megan Benson and Cici Fortney have been on the Knightettes for four years now and carry a lot of weight on their backs.  “Cici and I are the legacy of our team and it’s our job to make sure the younger dancers on the team know what to do when their time comes to be leaders of the squad,” Benson said.

The 2015 BSM kick team has more competitors than the usual numbers that make up past kicking lines.  The captains and coaches are focusing more effort this year on making sure the kick training is well rounded for all the dancers.  Along with revisions along the way, the kick dance that the team choreographs is the same dance that they use for the entire winter season.  “The kick dance this year is upbeat and very well choreographed.  We usually pick a girlier song choice, but this year’s song is more powerful and a little out of the norm compared to what we’ve done the past few years,” junior dancer Morgan Hovanec said.

The squad has made a couple of modifications to guarantee their back-to-back State squad is on the top of their game.  “We’ve been doing a lot of team workouts before practice.  We are trying to specifically build up leg strength to create a stronger endurance that I think is making a big difference on the dance floor,” Hovanec said.

The Knightettes competed in their first jazz conference meet held at BSM on Tuesday, November 24.  The team earned second place after having home-floor advantage.  “It’ll be really exciting this year because we have the home field advantage so we will hopefully have more fans, and we know the Haben floor better than the other teams so that’s a huge advantage that makes a big impact on the dance,” Hovanec said.