Drake has both dance and cheer teams that actively participate in campus events. But, due to differences in the structure of each program, there are discrepancies in how the teams are funded and run within the University, and there are frustrations from both sides.
“We were kind of frustrated in the sense of we have the retention and we have the interest…but we are not getting the same treatment [as the cheer teams],” said Taylor Bohannon, one of the dance team captains. “In comparison, we’re just as stable if not more stable with more interest, but that same interest is not being backed by the University.”
Most of the dance teams’ frustration stems from their relationship with the University. Similarly, the cheer team faces frustration with control over their team, since the coach makes most of the decisions.
“Compared to them, we have a lot less freedom with things we can do…our social media is completely controlled…we can’t post anything in our uniforms…our coach tells us what we have to do at each timeout,” said Ava Mohr, a member of the cheer team. “We don’t get a say in a lot of that stuff.”
There are a few similarities between the dance and cheer teams at Drake, most notably the athletes’ dedication to their teams as they both commit countless practice hours every week.
Cheer practices two to three times a week and weight lifts twice a week, according to Drake cheer coach Morgan Peterson.
The dance team practices four to five times a week, according to Bohannon. Both teams perform at many athletic events throughout the school year.
However, there are many differences in the inner workings of the two teams. Both teams showcase a lot of talent and hard work, but the main difference between the two is that the cheer team is funded through the athletic department whereas dance is registered as a student organization.
For the dance team, things feel inequitable, according to Bohannon. Even when it comes to the availability of practice spaces, the dance team has to compete for space at the Bell Center studio, where Group X — fitness classes that run regularly at the studio — gets priority. However, that’s the least of the team’s frustration.
“I was told before I even committed to Drake that dance was going to be taken more seriously and we would have funding to be backed by the school,” Bohannon said.
When Bohannon came to Drake as a first-year in 2021, the dance team was pushing for at least some athletic funding and still has not received it. The team is registered as a student organization, meaning there is no real external funding, and members must pay $300 in dues each year to participate. All funding for the dance team is internal and comes from the dues including the money for storage, uniforms and other performance materials. The last time they received RSO funding was three years ago when they got a new speaker for performing. When all organizations’ budgets were posted earlier this year, the team wasn’t listed.
Conversely, the cheer team is considered Drake’s “Spirit Squad,” composed only of the cheer team, through the athletic department which grants cheer some athletic funding.
Even with their retention of members and talent, at times the dance team feels underappreciated on campus, said Bohannon and Taylor Bierman, another member on the team. The dance team was invited to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and, according to Bohannon, Drake declined on their behalf. However, the cheer team went to the men’s tournament.
Bohannon and Bierman speculate that the dance team was only able to attend March Madness because both the men’s and women’s teams made the tournament — dance went to men’s basketball and cheer went to women’s basketball.
Regardless of their structural differences, members of both the dance and cheer teams love supporting Drake’s athletics.
“It’s so fun. It’s great to support Drake and just be there and show up and just cheer for the Bulldogs,” Bierman said.
The dance team holds a strong bond and loves performing together. Because their advisor plays a very minimal role in the organization, the team does all of the choreography, coordination and conflict resolution themselves, while also fighting for recognition.
Mohr also said she doesn’t think Drake cares about the cheer team that much. Mohr compared the cheer team’s and pep band’s treatment at athletic events, stating that the band gets perks such as free food at the games.
“We’re kind of an afterthought,” Mohr said.
In other ways, the cheer team faces restrictions, as well. Because the cheer team is led by a coach, the members do not get a say in the decision-making of the team and are often given information at the last minute, Mohr said. However, the cheer team still maintains a strong bond and connection.
Regardless of frustrations the two teams face, the dance and cheer teams continue to support Drake athletics at events throughout the year. Both teams are also very supportive of each other and recognize the differences they face.
“So many of my friends are in dance, so I talked to them about that a lot. And we have different struggles,” Mohr said.
Bohannon and Bierman want to make it very clear that dance and cheer have no real quarrel.
“It’s not us against cheer,” Bohannon said. “We support them too, and in a lot of ways, they’re also underrecognized. We just want it to be equitable.”
