Meet our Coaches

Armstrong Dance Team is proud to have a robust coaching staff that spans two seasons. Both the Fall Performance Dance Team and Winter Competitive Dance Team have a talented coaching staff, outlined below!

Fall Performance Dance Team Coaches

Fall Dance Team Head Coach - Kate Nilsen
Kate Nilsen has been the Assistant Coach for the Fall Armstrong Dance Team since the fall of 2020 and is excited to now take on the role of Head Coach! She was on the Armstrong Dance Team for her 4 years of high school, and loved the program so much she couldn't leave it behind. Kate has been involved with dance for the past 18 years and loves having this environment to implement her passions for choreography, dance, and team building with the Armstrong Dance Team. She will be graduating from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. She loves to spend time with her dog, cook, go to the gym, and binge watch TV shows in her free time. She is looking forward to another wonderful season with the Armstrong Dance Team! 
Fall Dance Team Assistant Coach - Taleigh Richardson
Taleigh Richardson is a proud alumni of the Armstrong Dance Team. We are happy to have her return for another year as part of the Fall coaching staff. Taleigh is a full time teacher/director at KMC and so grateful she gets to do what she loves every day. Coaching the fall Armstrong Dance Team has been such a joy for Kaleigh and she is happy to be back this year! 

Winter Competition Dance Team Coaches

Winter Dance Team Varsity Head Coach - Rachel Salzer
Rachel Salzer has been the head coach for the Armstrong Dance Team since the 2021-2022 winter season. She was the ADT assistant coach for the 20-21 season. Rachel is currently pursuing a degree in Sports and Recreation Management . She graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 2019. Rachel started dancing at the age of three at a studio in St. Louis Park. She then moved to Victoria Dance Productions in Edina where she was a competition dancer for 10 years training in jazz, tap, lyrical, ballet, and hip hop styles. While at VDP, she was also a competition team assistant. She is looking forward to another great year coaching ADT!
Winter Dance Team Assistant Varsity Coach -
​Hannah Winesburg
Hannah Winesburg has been dancing since she was 13, and was a member for 5 years of the Delano High School Dance Team. After high school she was a member of the South Dakota State University dance team for 4 years, competing in the NDA circuit and making finals 3 of her 4 years on the team down in Daytona Beach. Right after college, she returned to Delano High School where she coached both JV and Varsity teams for the four years. Hannah is returning for her second season as assistant varsity coach for the Armstrong Dance Team and is excited to share her passion for the sport of dance with the team.
Winter Dance Team Assistant Varsity Coach - Ally Motzko
Ally Motzko is currently finishing up her last semester at the University of Saint Thomas pursuing an Entrepreneurship degree. She also teaches recreational dance at her old studio, Victoria Dance Productions and is just starting out at Chaska Dance Center as a competition teacher for kid's 3rd-7th grade. This is her second year with Armstrong, she was previously the head coach of JV but has now switched over to assisting varsity this year
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​Winter Dance Team Junior Varsity Head Coach -
​Rachel Enerson​
Rachel Enerson started dancing before she could walk and is so excited to join ADT's coaching staff. She grew up training in jazz and kick, and was a two-year team captain and state participant on the Byron Dance Team. Since then, she has stayed active in the dance world through choreography and guest judging competitions throughout the region. Rachel also works in marketing/advertising in Minneapolis, and spends her free time traveling with family and exploring the outdoors. She is thrilled to bring her passion for technique, turns and teamwork to ADT!
​Winter Dance Team Junior Varsity Head Coach -
​Anna Pearson
Anna Pearson is currently a junior at Bethel University in St. Paul, majoring in psychology and journalism. She has been dancing since she was 4, and was on the Spring Lake Park Pantherettes dance team for 5 years, going to state with the team twice. This will be Anna's second season coaching the JV team. She is looking forward to another year of working with the team!