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About Us

About Us

The mission of the Gustavus Adolphus College Dance Team is to provide dancers with a positive experience so they can further their dance abilities in college. Our dancers are highly motivated individuals that work hard to improve their dance technique, succeed in their academics, and form long lasting relationships with team members.

 

The Gustavus Adolphus Performance Dance Team performs at all home football games. The routines consist of a combination of jazz and hip hop. They also put on an annual guy girl performance where dancers chose a guy to learn a dance and perform along side of them. The Competition team is also a part of the performance team, but in addition they compete at the local and national level. Competition dances consist of jazz and lyrical technique (see auditions page for expectation information).  The season for the Performance team runs from September through early November. The Competition season begins after the last football game performance and ends in late February after the national competition in California. Dancers practice three times a week and lift weights two times a week outside of practice.  Auditions will take place in the Fall for the upcoming season. 

Teachers

Meet The Team 
2022-2023

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Ellie Johnson (Captain)

Year: Senior

Major: Exercise Physiology (Pre Physical Therapy)

Dance Experience:  Studio Vibe Dance Productions, Eagan High School Dance Team four year member and two year captain 

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Sydney Timm (Captain)

Year: Junior

Major: English

Dance Experience: Johnston Dance Academy and Dowling Catholic High School Dance Team 

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Samantha Dixon

Year: Senior

Major: Psychology

Dance Experience: Mound Westonka High School Dance Team 

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Nicole Urbaniak

Year: Junior

Major: Nursing

Dance Experience: Larkin Dance Studio

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Abby Anderson

Year: Senior

Major: Communications

Dance Experience: Dance Expressions

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Marrisa Anderson

Year: Sophomore

Major: Undecided

Dance Experience: Just For Kix and Bloomington Kennedy High School Dance Team  

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Tatum Batchelder

Year: Sophomore

Major: Management 

Dance Experience: Dance Arts Centre & La Danae Fatale Ballet Company

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Maddie Derbis

Year: Freshman

Major: Athletic Training 

Dance Experience: Millennium Dance Company and St. Michael Albertville Dance Team

Contact

Year: Sophomore

Major: Elementary Education

Dance Experience: 15 years of studio dance, Gustavus Apprentice Dance Company 

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​Krista Monkelien

Year: Junior

Major: Communications

Dance Experience:  Dorinda's Dance Studio

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Jada Nelsen

Year: Junior

Major: Biology (Pre-med)

Dance Experience: Kay Williams Prunty's The Dance Academy Studio and The Worthington High School Dance Team 

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Kayshooly Thao

Year: 

Major: Psychology

Dance Experience: Dao Lan Dance Dance Studio

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Emma Thompson

Year: Freshman

Major: Communications and Political Science

Dance Experience: Lee Drummers School of Tap, BOLD Dance Team, and Just For Kix

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Kenna Einck

Year: Sophomore

Major: Public Accounting 

with a Coaching minor

Dance Experience: Touch of Grace Dance Studio and the Hutchinson High School Dance Team  

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Emee Jagielski

Year: Junior

Major: Music

Dance Experience: Apollo High School Dance Team

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Ellie Johnson

Year: Sophomore

Major: Exercise Physiology (Pre-Physical Therapy)

Dance Experience: Studio Vibe Dance and Performance, Eagan High School Dance Team 

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Emma Larson

Year: Sophomore

Major: Elementary Education

Dance Experience:  North Dance Studio and Ely High School Dance Team

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Coach Allie

Allie has been coaching the Gustavus Dance Team since 2018. She has also coached the Hopkins Royelles High School Dance Team since 2015. Allie was a member of GACDT throughout college and was a captain her senior year. She was also a member of the Gustavus Cheer Team. Allie danced for Hopkins in high school and was a studio dancer for 13 years before that. She also danced with Justin Timberlake in the Super Bowl 52 halftime show. 

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Coach Maddie

Maddie has been coaching the Gustavus Dance Team since 2017. She was a member of GACDT all four years of college and captain her last two years. Before Gustavus, Maddie was on the Hopkins Dance Team. She was a captain of the team her senior year as well as an all conference, all state, and all tournament dancer. She also danced in the Super Bowl 52 half time show. 

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Coach Nicole Urbaniak

Nicole is a 2021 Gustavus graduate who majored in nursing. She danced on the Gustavus dance team all 4 years and was a captain for 2 years. Nicole previously danced at Larkin Dance Studio on the performing line. Nicole is now a nurse at United Hospital in the medical surgical float pool

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Coach Rachael Urbaniak

Rachael is a 2016 Gustavus graduate who majored in nursing. She danced on the Gustavus dance team all 4 years and was a captain. Rachael previously danced at Larkin Dance Studio for 14 years and was a captain of the performing line. Rachael is now a nurse at TRIA and is in grad school at St. Scholastica studying to earn her Doctorate of Nursing Practice for Nurse Practitioner. 

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