For Dordt cheer and dance, late January is a breath—and a pivot.

Full Interview

The first competition is in the books, the adrenaline has settled, and now comes the part head coach Mel Knobloch welcomes most: reflection.

"It's good to get that first performance out of the way," Knobloch said. "You learn where your team is at, where the areas of improvement are, and then you can reassess."

That first competition served as exactly that—a measuring stick. With brand-new rulebooks impacting both cheer and dance this season, Dordt's opening performance was intentionally built less for maximum difficulty and more for information. How are judges scoring? Where do the margins exist? And how far can the team push without sacrificing execution?

On the cheer side, the learning curve is steep. The new scoring system places heavier emphasis on specific skills, quantities, and difficulty thresholds. The challenge now lies in finding the narrow space where ambition meets consistency.

"It's learning where that fine line is," Knobloch said. "How much difficulty can you push while still executing at a high level?"

That question shaped Dordt's first routine. Rather than swinging for the biggest skills right away, the Defenders focused on what they could perform cleanly, using the competition as a live evaluation. The result wasn't just a score—it was a roadmap.

From competition to competition, the faces stay the same, but the mat doesn't. While athletes generally remain in their core roles—bases, flyers, tumblers, back spots—their placement and groupings change regularly. New stunt groups. New formations.
New timing.

Those changes aren't random.

"There's always a rhyme and a reason," Knobloch said. "It's about drawing the judges' eyes to the right moments."

That strategic choreography includes deliberate "wow" moments—skills designed not just to score, but to stand out. What's rising while something else descends. Where the most explosive athlete is placed on the mat. When a key element hits in the music. It's all part of the plan.

Yet even the best plan relies on communication. With so many moving parts in cheer, feedback doesn't come solely from the coach's perspective. It comes from the athletes themselves.

"They feel it," Knobloch said. "They know if something was off before anyone else does."

Flyers communicate what's happening in the air. Bases adjust positioning. Groups talk through timing. Video helps, but immediate, athlete-driven feedback remains essential. The routine improves not just through instruction, but through trust.

That trust is anchored by senior Raya Zevenbergen, the program's first-ever All-American. A rare blend of tumbling, stunting, and jumping ability, Zevenbergen's value extends far beyond her skill set.

"She's incredible," Knobloch said. "She's someone our younger athletes can go to. She knows what to expect."

With fewer seniors on the roster than in years past, Dordt leans heavily on strong underclassmen and juniors to help carry leadership forward—a balance Knobloch sees as both a challenge and an opportunity.

On the dance side, the new rulebook brings freedom rather than restriction. Where cheer became more structured, dance loosened its requirements, allowing for increased creativity—but also tougher decisions.

Do you keep traditional elements judges expect to see? Or do you reinvent the routine entirely?

For Dordt, the answer is both.

Team elements remain central, showcasing cohesion and synchronization. But within those moments, individual athletes are highlighted—specific leaps, acrobatic skills, aerials, and performance qualities layered into the routine to elevate difficulty and effect.

"There's not one person that stands out above the rest," Knobloch said. "They all bring something different."

That collective strength defines the dance team. One athlete adds acrobatics. Another provides elite flexibility. Another delivers performance and facial expression. The routine shifts formations to spotlight those strengths while maintaining unity across palm, jazz, and hip-hop styles.

This past weekend, eight dancers took the floor. That number will grow to nine at the next competition, increasing both options and complexity.

For Knobloch, now in her 21st year of coaching and 11th at Dordt, the evolution of dance has been remarkable. What once impressed crowds—a clean double pirouette—has become baseline. Today's athletes are asked for triples, quads, and advanced combinations that demand elite athleticism.

"Dance has become so visible," Knobloch said. "And it continues to push everyone forward."

The Defenders now enter a critical stretch. After a weekend off, Dordt heads into back-to-back competitions at York and Concordia—a weekend with no margin for error or adjustment between performances. The work done now, in these quiet weeks, matters most.

This is where routines are reshaped. Score sheets are studied. Difficulties are added. Execution is refined.

Once the weekly competition rhythm begins, changes become smaller—subtle tweaks designed to keep routines fresh while maximizing performance quality.