Larkspur Dance & Choreography Podcast

It’s the finale episode of Season 4!  It’s going to be a bare bones episode again with no intro and no outro.  My voice recovered from strep, only to lose it again by teaching a clinic to forty-five Kindergarteners through 3rd graders.  I’m sure you all can relate.  

It’s a good thing that our guest on the podcast today holds enough sparkle that she doesn’t need a flowery intro and outro!  I’m so excited to be chatting with Sarah Flisowski of Blinn College!

The Blinn College dance team has won numerous American...

Ashley Deaton graduated from LSU where she was a member of their national championship winning team.  She then danced for the New Orleans Pelicans (formerly the Hornets) and became their choreographer and director.  She led that team during Hurricane Katrina, relocating to Oklahoma City.  She then went on to add Senior Director of Entertainment Teams for the New Orleans Saints to her resumé.  As their leader, she made it her own mission to develop poised, healthy and well-rounded individuals off stage, so they could use their experience to achieve success in their personal and professional lives as well.  Like so man...

Danelle Langeneckert was introduced as the St. Ambrose University dance coach on March 12, 2010. She became the school’s Spirit Coach, in charge of both the dance and cheer programs, on May 10, 2017.

Langeneckert, a three-time NAIA National Competitive Dance Coach of the Year, has led the SAU Dance Team to national acclaim by winning two NAIA Competitive Dance National Championships, the first coming in 2018 and the second in 2021. Those came on the heels of claiming back-to-back NAIA Dance National Invitational Championships in 2015 and 2016. The 2012 team won a National Championship at the NDA Collegiate Dance Championships in the NAIA La...

The Grand Valley State University Laker Dance Team recently went viral for a video their national championship hip hop routine, but they were a sensation in the dance team community long before that.  Rael and Katy from GVSU give insight on how they built their team and how they maintain a level of excellence year after year.  

Connect with GVSU Laker Dance Team:

Email:  gvsulakerdanceteam@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gvsu_lakerdanceteam/

Website: https://www.gvsu.edu/clubsports/womens-dance-club-17.htm

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This blog post has been shared by many members of the dance team community: https://callmemags.substack.com/p/all-my-blood-sweat-and-tears-for

It was written by Maggie Schmaltz, a recent graduate of the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and a member of their phenomenal dance team while she was a student there.  The blog post is about what Maggie experienced as a member of her college dance team that was nationally ranked and known, repeat champions many times over, but that acknowledgement and respect did not transfer to her own college campus and community.  It’s actually a very...

Joni May is an Advertising Professional with a varied background in Dance Team Judging and Coaching. She is the current Co-Director of the NDCA Judging Credentials Program. Joni has authored and taught a judging course in England and Scotland for dance team judges and worked with competitive teams in those countries. She was a founder and former Executive Director of TeamDance Illinois, a competition and education circuit that served youth through collegiate teams from 2007-2014. Joni has served as a dance team judge, official and trainer for over 25+ years, judging for Dance Team Union, multiple state and for-profit circuits...

Angela Ottmann has been embedded in the spirit community for over 35 years, focusing on coaching, choreography, dance education/instruction and judging at the national and regional level.  She is the Founder and President of the CSCA (Colorado Spirit Coaches Association).  Angela is currently the Conference Director serving on the Executive Board, for the NDCA, National Dance Coaches Association.  She is responsible for event planning & managing the NDCA’s annual national coaches conference.   She also owns and manages A.O! Entertainment, an events production company, which focuses on educational conferences, competitions and events within the Spirit Sector.  Angela was the longtime H...

Amanda Gaines is the coach of the 19x UDA National Champion and 3x World Champion University of Minnesota Dance Team. Growing up training and competing in all styles at her studio and high school dance team in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Amanda went on to attend the University of Minnesota, where she was a captain and choreographer of the dance team her senior year. After graduating, she jumped right into coaching, and continued choreography with high school, colleges and all star programs around the country. She’s taught camps, clinics, master classes and judged all over the world, and is excited to...

Jordann Pierluissi has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to dance team.  She has a degree in Exercise Physiology and was the longtime coach of national champion powerhouse The Villages.  Jordann also has experience as a judge, choreographer, consultant, instructor, dance teacher…you name it, she’s done it!  She’s also tremendously humble, and has a true calling to help others, so listen with a notebook and prepare to be inspired by this dance team treasure!  

Connect with Larkspur:

Website: https://www.larkspurdance.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larkspurdance/

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Rani Reichow has been involved in dance team at the high school, college and pro level, including teams in the Nebraska, Missouri, Florida and Arizona.  She’s been a performer, instructor, judge and coach.  Rani has a tremendous passion for applying her training in  Exercise Science and Physical Education, along with all of her first hand knowledge and experience, to the formation of well rounded and well trained dancers through coaching and her work with Sharpen Up Dance Team Training!  She’s such a bright light and I know you’re going to enjoy listening to her and learning from her...