BSM’s fall dance team has been performing at football games, practicing daily, and getting ready for the pep-fest. They enjoy embracing their traditions and making memories as a team.

The 39 members of BSM’s dance team train every day from 3-5 PM as a part of their fall schedule. The team has a lot on their plate, from practicing their halftime dance performances to learning a new dance for the pep-fest and preparing for their kid’s clinic on September 19th. Fans can easily spot dance team members in their glammed-out apparel picked out by their captains: Emily Zagaros ‘22, LoLo Landry ‘22, Gabby Nyquist ‘23, and Monica Beutz ‘23.

To make all of the dancers feel a part of the team, the juniors and seniors incorporated many new traditions. One of these new traditions is called families. “In my family, I have one, two, three, four, five people and so you have a head of the family, that is me, and you do activities with your family and it is another way of team bonding,” Landry said.

Last year during the fall, the team had to split into JV and varsity which made it hard to come together and bond. Covid also affected the whole first half of the winter season. “During fall we had to have two separate teams, which we’ve never had before, so it was hard to bond with the girls,” Landry said.

The dance team performs consistently, but each year is an adjustment because of the changing coaching staff. This year, two of the coaches are alumni Kelly Dempsey and Ashlyn Virginia, and the final coach is Taylor Delong, a former member of the University of Minnesota’s dance team. These coaches make being on the dance team memorable, even if the staff changes frequently. “I think they’re really good at doing their job and they do a good balance of conditioning and dancing,” freshman Lauren Adams said.

Make sure to look out for the Knightettes at the upcoming home football games on October 1st and 8th where they will perform during halftime!