FARGO — A dancer who was the only male on his high school and college dance teams in Fargo has earned a spot on an exponentially larger stage.

Blaize Shiek was selected for the Minnesota Vikings cheerleading squad, making his debut during the NFL team’s preseason opener at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Saturday, Aug. 9.

He and Louie Conn, of Bettendorf, Iowa, are the first male cheerleaders on the team since the 1990s, according to the Vikings. However, Minnesota's NFL team is among a dozen this year to have men on their cheer squads.

It’s a familiar spot for Shiek, as he performed years ago for the Fargo South High School Bruinkix and North Dakota State University dance teams.

Jordan Epping, of Fargo, a former NDSU dance coach and Vikings cheerleader from 2015 to 2017, helped S

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