- Kelsey Gillespie has been named the head coach
- Program will focus on the competitive side of dancing
- Tryouts will be held in June of 2025
DMACC Director of Athletics B.J. McGinn has announced the addition of a Competitive Dance Team to the school's athletics program. The Dance Team will join men's and women's golf, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball and E Sports as part of the DMACC athletics program.
"The Athletic Department is excited to announce the addition of a Competitive Dance Team for Des Moines Area Community College," McGinn said. "This program will provide opportunities for students to continue their dance competitions after high school and also promote DMACC and the DMACC Bear brand. I am happy to have Kelsey Gillespie on board as our head coach and am excited to get the program started!"
The program will begin in the summer of 2025 with tryouts scheduled for June 21. Kelsey Gillespie has been named the head coach. Gillespie is the owner and director of the Colfax Dance Academy.
"I'm very excited and thankful for the opportunity to be a part of DMACC and starting a dance team," Gillespie said. "Dance has grown so much over the years and I'm thrilled to be able to offer it to student-athletes who want to continue competing, as well as continue their education at DMACC. I'm looking forward to meeting the athletes and creating a fun, positive, and hard-working team to share the passion of dance with."
The Dance Team will make the competitive side of dancing its primary focus with plans to participate in the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association (ISDTA) Championships in the winter of 2025 and a national program in the spring of 2026. The Dance Team will also host events and camps as well as participate and perform at local events.
Gillespie was born and raised in Monroe and is a 2014 graduate of PCM High School where she was a member of the dance team for four years. She was selected to be a part of the All Low Honor Dance Team and competed at the ISDTA State Dancing Championships. She also participated in studio dance for 17 years. Gillespie attended Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) where she continued dancing and was able to compete at the ISDTA State Championships as well as the National Dance Alliance (NDA) National Championships in Daytona, Fla.
Gillespie said Dance Team tryouts will be open to individuals who plan to attend the Boone Campus of DMACC as well as live in DMACC housing during the 2025-26 school year. Students must be full time in order to participate and qualify for scholarships.
Tryouts will begin with a practice session from 8 a.m. to noon June 21, 2025, in the DMACC Fieldhouse. Following a lunch break, official tryouts will begin at 1 p.m., also in the DMACC Fieldhouse. Students will learn a dance routine that includes pom/jazz/hip-hop and they will go over techniques.
Students interested in participating in Dance Team are encouraged to schedule a campus visit, tour DMACC facilities and meet members of the staff.
For additional information, contact Gillespie at (641) 629-1237 or kelseyngillespie@gmail.com