Older cheer, dance members mentor younger peers

The University of South Dakota cheer and dance teams are relying on senior leadership this year, making it a priority to pass down the knowledge of their seasoned veterans.

With so many members on each team, it has become a priority for older members to encourage the younger members. On the cheer team, the captains put the new members into stunt groups with veterans, but they all share one commonality—passion.

“We are all different, but everyone on the team has such a huge passion for cheerleading,” said Joe Erickson, senior captain of the football cheer team.

Erickson joined the team his first year at USD because one of friends dared him. He ended up passing the tryouts, and after debating if he should join, he decided it was worth a shot.

“It’s one of the best decisions I could have made,” Erickson said. “I’m just trying to enjoy my last year.”

For dance team members Charles Gageby and Rebecca Molsberry, the teaching experience is new, as they are in a position they’ve never been in while at USD. The two are the only seniors on the dance team, outnumbered by 10 first-year dancers.

For Gageby, it’s all about helping the younger members become better dancers.

“We encourage the younger dancers by letting them know we are here to help make them better,” Gageby said. “We watch them and give them critiques so they can get better. They don’t have attitude, and they actually listen to what the older dancers have to say.”

The team has members from numerous backgrounds, which it must learn to combine. Some of the dancers come from gymnastics background, some have experience dancing in studios and some were from a dance team.

“It is really interesting how the team comes from so many different backgrounds, and we have to blend all those styles together,” Molsberry said. “Each person brings a different strength to the team.”

Unlike Erickson, senior Dakotah Taylor joined the cheer team because she has been cheering since elementary school.

“I wouldn’t take that decision of joining back,” Taylor said. “I have met so many people and made so many memories with them.”

So far, even the first-years are living out unique college experiences.

“The best part about being a freshman on the cheer is team that I was forced to talk to people outside of my class,” Emma Larson said. “It pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I’m glad I joined.”

The cheer team will accompany a number of Coyote teams this year.

While the dance team started the school year by performing at the football games, later in the year it will perform at basketball events. Recently the team learned its routine at the national competition in April in Daytona Beach, Fla.

To compete at nationals, the team either has to get a bid at National Dance Alliance (NDA) summer camp or send in a video. This summer the team made it by earning a silver bid for their jazz routine at the camp. The silver bid pays for some of the expenses at nationals.

Molsberry is the only South Dakota representative working for the NDA organization.

“I might be the only one ever from South Dakota to work for them,” Molsberry said. “I get to travel around to different states and teach dance to high school students.”

Unlike the dance team, the cheer team only cheers from the sidelines. Dance may be competing nationally, but cheer is frequently asked to make appearances around Vermillion.

“Being a cheerleader, you are a role model to others, especially little girls,” said Larson.

The cheer and dance teams’ next performances will be Saturday at the home football game against Western Illinois in the DakotaDome.