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 - Kat Cannon
Kat Cannon is a proud alumni of the Armstrong Dance Team. We are happy to have her return as part of the Fall coaching staff. 
Katherine could not be more excited for this new position. She was a member of the Armstrong dance team for 4 years while being named captain her senior year. She recently graduated from Mankato State University with a degree in ethnic studies and minor in dance, while being a 4 year member of the Maverick Dance Team earning 5 National Titles. She is now going into her first season as a Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader and could not be more excited to assistant coach the fall Armstrong Dance Team. She enjoys spending time with friends and family and being with her dog Kobe and can’t wait to be back in the home of the falcons! ​

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 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. Rachel works in the Parks and Recreation field and enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring, and staying busy in her free time. She is looking forward to another great year coaching ADT!
Winter Dance Team Coach -Heather Harding
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Heather Harding grew up dancing at a dance studio in Plymouth and spent her high school years on the Cooper Dance Team.  There she received the honor of All-Conference Dancer and captain. This is her 23rd year coaching high school dance team and her first year with the Armstrong Dance Team. In Heather’s spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband, two kids and her dogs. She is so excited to join ADT this year and can’t wait to for competition season!
Winter Dance Team Coach- Anna Pearson
Anna Pearson began coaching at ADT during the 2021-2022 winter season and is entering her fourth year as a JV coach. Anna recently graduated from Bethel University in St. Paul with degrees in psychology and journalism, and hopes to pursue a career in social media or broadcast journalism. She has been dancing since she was four, and was on the Spring Lake Park Pantherettes dance team for five years, going to state with the team twice. Anna’s favorite style of dance is tap, and she was able to perform tap solos and group numbers in a few musicals at Spring Lake Park, including Bye Bye Birdie and Young Frankenstein. She is hyped for another season with ADT!
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​Winter Dance Team Coach -Rachel Enerson​
Rachel Enerson is a third year coach of ADT. 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.
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Winter Dance Team Coach - Melody Swanson

Melody Swanson has been dancing since the age of three at the studio in her home town of Becker where she trained in jazz, tap, lyrical and hip hop styles. She continued dancing through high school and was on the Becker High School Dance Team for 6 years. She then went on to dance for St. Catherine University for four years. This will be Mel’s fourth year coaching JV/B-squad and first year with Armstrong! She is excited for what the season will bring and is thrilled to continue her love of dance with this team!

Winter Dance Team Coach - Kadance Gordon

Kadance Gordon is currently a junior at the University of Minnesota studying construction management. She started dancing at age 8 at Arabesque School of Dance then transitioned to her high school team at Spring Lake Park where she danced for 6 years. She was All-State Kick two years and All-Conference two years then became captain her senior year. After that she danced collegiately at the University of Western Michigan her freshman year competing at NDA nationals in both jazz and spirit rally. She also works with Cru Dance Competitions as a backstage/sound manager traveling around the midwest. Kadance is returning for her second year with ADT and looking forward to an amazing season!

Winter Dance Team Coach - Jessica Olson

Jessica Olson is a second year coach of ADT. She grew up in Robbinsdale and danced at KMC Dance and danced on the fall and winter teams throughout her years in highschool. During her years in college she danced on the Saint Ben’s Fall Performance teams and she graduated from the College of Saint Benedict with a degree in Elementary Education. She is currently teaching in the Spring Lake Park School District. She is one of the B-Squad coaches and is very excited to see the amazing things the dancers accomplish this season