The Middleton High School Dance Team (MHSDT) went to State on Feb. 5 to round off the highest scoring year in the history of the team. The team of 29 dancers and two coaches placed third in D1 (division one) Hip Hop and sixth in D1 Pom.  

The team brought two routines, Hip Hop and Pom, and two solos performed by seniors Kalea Long and Ashlyn Roush. 

“It felt amazing to have our most successful State showing after having our most successful season in MHSDT history,” Head Coach Jackie Rehberg said. “There’s no greater feeling than seeing all of your hard work pay off.”

The dance team’s preparation for state began in the summer. They started learning routines in August and began to choreograph and then work on their dances to “clean” them (make them better) in the fall. Competition season began for the team in December, and the team continued prepping for State throughout the winter.

“Every year, the competition gets tougher and it’s more difficult to qualify for State,” Rehberg said. The team placed third in D1 hip hop in 2014 and sixth place in Pom in 2016, but this is the highest collective score they have received. After not being able to compete as a full team last season due to COVID-19, this is a huge accomplishment.

This is Rehberg’s tenth year coaching the Middleton High School Dance Team. She grew up figure skating and danced to support her skating, but she got more serious at the age of sixteen while dancing at her high school. Coach Rehberg went on to become a member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Dance Team. 

This year, the team competed in five competitions before State, including regionals, which is when the team qualified for State. State is only one week after regionals, so the team had very little time to get everything in order for the competition. 

“I am so proud of this team for making MHSDT history and cannot wait to keep making history next year,” Coach Rehberg said. “We have so many talented, dedicated athletes and are more motivated than ever. The success we’ve had this year has really shown us that we are one of the top teams in the state and that we can compete for the top spots in our divisions. The future for the MHSDT is very bright!”