Dance Teams Shine at State Championships

LQPV/D-B Shadows, YME, Montevideo, and New London-Spicer compete for Class A titles

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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The Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd Shadows dance team is heading to the state championships as the defending champions in both the jazz and high kick divisions. They will be joined by other top teams from the west central Minnesota region, including Yellow Medicine East, Montevideo, and New London-Spicer. The state meet begins with the jazz division on Friday, followed by the high kick competition on Saturday at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Why it matters

Dance team competitions are a source of pride and community engagement in many Minnesota high schools. The state championships showcase the hard work, talent, and dedication of these student-athletes, who have overcome the pressure of defending their titles to earn a spot at the prestigious event.

The details

The Shadows, led by head coach Carly Wager, are bringing a team of 30 dancers, managers, and coaches to the state meet. They will compete against powerhouses like Yellow Medicine East, which has won seven state titles, and Montevideo, which has a storied dance team history. New London-Spicer is also making its fifth straight state appearance in high kick after taking third in Section 2A.

  • The state meet begins with the jazz division preliminaries at about 11:20 a.m. on Friday, February 14, 2026.
  • The Class A high kick competition takes place on Saturday, February 15, 2026.

The players

Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd Shadows

The defending state champions in both jazz and high kick divisions, the Shadows are led by head coach Carly Wager and feature a mix of experienced seniors and talented underclassmen.

Yellow Medicine East

A longtime powerhouse in Class A dance, YME has won seven state titles, including in jazz and high kick.

Montevideo Gold Dusters

The Gold Dusters have a storied dance team history, having won state high kick titles in 2002, 1999, 1998, and 1995, as well as overall state championships in 1994, 1993, and 1992.

New London-Spicer Blackcats

The Blackcats are making their fifth straight state appearance in high kick after taking third in Section 2A.

St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders

The Crusaders are the heavy favorites in Class A, having won five of the six available titles this season.

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What they’re saying

“If they go out there and do their absolute best whether they place or not, then everything is good.”

— Carly Wager, Head Coach, LQPV/D-B Shadows (wctrib.com)

“I'm pretty proud of the program and everyone involved. We're definitely building. It keeps getting bigger and bigger.”

— Jenny Ziemer, Head Coach, New London-Spicer Blackcats (wctrib.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This year's state dance team championships showcase the continued excellence and growth of high school dance programs across Minnesota, with several teams from the west central region vying for Class A titles and the chance to defend their hard-earned championships.