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Welcome to The Catalyst, an exciting and insightful podcast produced by Northeast Iowa Community College. I'm your host, Amy Lasack. Together, we'll explore the people, programs, and partnerships that make Northeast Iowa Community College unique. From student success stories to behind the scenes info about athletics, innovation and industry collaboration. Each episode dives deeper into your community's college. Get ready for an inside look at the impact of community driven education at NICC.
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Oh hello everyone! For those who haven't heard, NICC has expanded our athletic offerings this last year and one of our new sports is dance. So today we welcome Kylie Kirman, Northeast Iowa Community College head coach. Kylie is a Dubuque native. She graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 2019 and Loras College in 2022 with a degree in business administration.
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And since then, she's coached large, nationally recognized competition teams with over 100 dancers and 200 plus students in the studio. So welcome, Kylie. Thank you so much for having me and so happy to be here. Well, great. Well, before we dig our dive too deep, I have a confession to make. I do not know anything about dance. I'm probably the person in the audience that's clapping off beat most of the time, and I have a feeling some of our listeners may be in the same boat I am.
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So before we get to started into getting to know you a little bit better, is there anything what is the basic thing people have to know about dance before we go too deep? Yeah. So dance is so popular around the Midwest. Honestly, anywhere between the ages of 2 to 18 kids are jumping in to dance. There's mommy and me classes now.
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Just the younger the dancer, the bigger it seems to be. So it's super exciting that NICC took a risk on this. And college dance in general is super exciting as far as Spirit Squad goes. Having school spirit, representing your school and just overall being excited about, your brand and just showing your pride for your school and a sport that truly is intense, that is so cool.
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And from two years old at a two year old, taking dance is amazing to me. To try to get them to, stay a little structured and have some fun with it. So how did you get into dance? How are you so passionate about dance? Yes. So dance has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and it's shaped the way I approach coaching and developing my leadership roles today.
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Over the years, I've had the privilege of working with dancers at every level, from preschool beginners to some of the most competitive dancers in the Midwest. It's also been a privilege to work with in schools, from the high school level to now coaching at the collegiate level. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to coach at all levels.
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And now getting to work with so many young dancers and young adults throughout their dance journey. What I focus on most is mostly developing complete dancers, from refining technique while building confidence, fostering strong team culture. For me, it's not just about learning choreography, cleaning routines. It's more motivating dancers to realize their full potential both on the floor and then just in general in their lives.
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But also on the business side of things. Just over six years ago, I was a freshman in college, and I had a dream, just like so many other young athletes, being a young business owner, with the help of my family, of course, taught me true meaning of hard work and just in general about motivating dancers to realize their full potential as well, both, with persistence and leadership growing, our program into what it is today has been and will continue to be one of my greatest accomplishments.
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That's pretty cool. So did you start dance really young as well? Did I? I was about four years old when I started, so I just remember, it's hard to remember when you're that little, but I just remember my mom taking me in to my first dance class, and, you know, I have two younger sisters, so, it's been in our life forever.
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My sister, I still actually teach one of my sisters. So she's in high school, and then my other sister helps, coach with me. So it's just it's a whole family affair. And so it's fun just getting to experience that all together. Oh. That's amazing. And I'm sure you have all kinds of wonderful memories from the time your little 25.
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Yeah. Very cool. And so you actually, you mentioned this a briefly, but you started coaching as senior high school dance program in 2023. Tell me. Yes, yes. So I was fortunate enough to be named the first head coach of the senior high school dance program in 2023. So throughout high school, I did cheer. While I did. So I did do my studio.
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And then, the high schools in Dubuque didn't offer a dance team. So I did cheer throughout high school and it was great, but it's definitely not the same. So where I had the opportunity, to build this program entirely from the ground up, at senior, establishing that foundation, watching the team grow into a competitive, cohesive unit.
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Super rewarding especially. I went to senior. I graduated from senior. So it's super cool. To be back there and coaching. And I really love the fact that I can just, you know, have fun with the kids. It's not crazy competitive. But we're just, you know, having fun and building that program from the ground up.
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And now I'm proud to say that we do have a team that has placed the top 5 in 1 of the most competitive dance divisions in the state. So I'm truly honored to be named the head coach at an ICC. Now and just developing this program as well. Yeah, we are certainly lucky to have you at an ICC because you have that experience growing the program from the ground up, and now you're here helping us grow a program from the ground up.
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That's amazing. So what are what are some of the similarities or differences that you see from working with like eight, nine year olds and then working high school and with college? Yeah, it's coaching across all ages has it's so cool. But it's also shown me that, you know, even though technical expectations and the communication styles naturally shift, the core of what dancers need remains the same.
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Dancers need confidence, they need support, and they need a strong, positive team culture. Whether I'm in, you know, my ready set dance classes, working with preschoolers, or working with athletes at the highest level. You know, my role always remains the same. It continues to be about helping them believe in themselves, stay positive and push towards their goals.
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Too many times we let athletes give up on themselves and we have, as coaches need to start, you know, fostering strength from a young age, building programs from the ground that has definitely reinforced this for me. Just showing how important that teen culture is at a business standpoint. It was introducing new systems and building trust in my clientele, sparking excitement and creating, you know, incredible training.
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And then at the high school and college level, there's greater it's greater standards, you know, independence and intensity. But also the foundation still comes back on a team culture, establishing, establishing your standards, not only creating accountability and building an environment where athletes can thrive, but also, I feel fortunate enough to be able to see some of these talented kids develop from the young age of, you know, three, four and then now getting to see them in high school or, you know, the icing on the national floor.
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It's exciting. Yeah. And you mentioned, you know, a lot of people, when they think of dance, they think of like individuals dancing. But you mention the word team and teamwork a lot. It sounds like that's a big part of dance. It is. And I actually just, you know, read something yesterday on one of my dance, podcasts that I listened to, and she had said something about, you know, you're not a soloist without a team.
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So, you know, I growing up, solos were huge. And, you know, a lot of my dancers do have solos, and it's great. It's awesome, to push dancers to their next level. But the, the team aspect is so incredibly important in developing those skills, not only for dance but also in life. Yeah, huge. I mean, I've watched several things on television with dancing and just the synchronizing and knowing how where somebody is going to be and all of those pieces, it's and you have to trust there's a lot of trust with your teammates.
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You trust a lot of trust. Yeah. So you talk about your studio and what you have there. Talk a little bit about that because that's pretty exciting. Yeah. So I own Extreme Dance, here in Dubuque. And we also have a satellite location in Cascade. So I purchased the studio, with the help of my family in 2020.
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I had danced here, for several years before that. And the studio has grown immensely. We now have over 200 plus students. And a competition team of well over 100. So we travel regionally and nationally and the kids are super well known. Across the Midwest. It's super exciting to see them. You know, now they're getting recruited themselves and the kiddos that I had, as you know, eight and nine year olds are now sophomores and juniors in college and are not in college.
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In high school. Whoa. I'm aging myself here. But they are, such great kids. And we have recreational classes all the way to elite competition programs. So it's it's everything we have. Everything that you can offer here. And I'm just grateful. With the growth this studio has shown, the support that we have from our dance families is incredible.
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And, you know, extreme dance started as something, you know, just tiny. And it was it was definitely exciting to see the growth the past five years and just going into the next several with our expansion and everything. It's been super cool. Oh, that is really cool. And it it speaks a lot to your dedication and your energy too, because people are drawn to that.
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There are other options for folks. So if you're growing that says a lot about you and your dance studio as well. Thank you. Thank you so much. So what does NICC's dance program look like this next year in the facilities and all of those pieces? Yeah. I am so excited for what we're building at NICC.
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And, you know, one of the things that sets us apart is the access our dancers have to top tier facilities. You know, with extreme dance in Dubuque. I'm so excited to, have our gnac athletes training in the state of an art, state of the art environment here at the studio. You know, our studio features three large dance rooms here to be included.
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A full size national competition floor. So all of our rooms are equipped with, dance flooring designed for peak performance. So it's definitely the ideal setting for, high level dancing. And then in addition, we're of course, fortunate to utilize NICC's on campus training facility. So the newly developed athletic center on our campus, if you haven't checked it out, definitely go check it out.
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It provides athletes with our resource to strength training, conditioning and team development. You know, having this combination of spaces definitely ensures our dancers, have not only prepared technically, but also physically and mentally for the demands of college level, competition. And then just in general, in our first year, the focus will be continuing to establish that strong foundation.
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And so this is our time to develop our skills, refining technique, creating that team culture that we're, working for from day one. And then, you know, year one is just about growth, consistency and then setting the tone for years to come. That's that's pretty cool. And I was at the open house on Friday. Had a chance to walk through there, see the facility.
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But they also had one of your uniforms up for everybody to see. It was we got a picture of it right here. It is so cool. They are so pretty. We spent a lot of time. I got to give kudos to the, my rebel rep page who helped me design, everything from the details to the rhinestones.
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We definitely worked hard to get the girls a uniform that they feel strong and confident in. Yeah. It's amazing. I just absolutely love it. And on the back, it says Cougars. Yeah. It's. Yeah, yeah. So they're very, very cool. What are some of your goals for your dancers this next year? I know you're looking at like a state level competition.
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What are some of the things that we have to look at. So, what makes this especially exciting, is the caliber athletes that we have ready to join us. This year, I have a team made up of such hard working dancers who are eager to learn, you know, push themselves and build something new together. Not all of them were dancers, which is super cool.
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And year one, we have cheerleaders, gymnasts. We have a girl that did color guard in high school, and then, a few dancers that are also, dancers from the past in their high schools. But also at the same time, we're looking already ahead to next year and next season. We have several highly competitive recruits committed to us.
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With so many more in conversation currently, the interest in momentum definitely speaks to what we're building, and gives us a strong edge as we grow into a highly competitive program. It means, you know, starting with state here in the summer and just seeing what that means for us going forward and then potentially looking at going to nationals, next year or the following year and just keeping, the girls excited and eager to push even further now.
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So many exciting things to look forward to this next year. And you get a front row seat of seeing these dancers grow not only as athletes, but as people. Yes, if you have to state anything that stands out to you amongst this group, what would you say that would be? I would say they are just so good at having fun and trying something new.
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They aren't afraid to make a mistake. We were just actually in practice last night and they were learning sideline for the first time. We're doing a little performance this Saturday. Nick had asked us to perform at in between his softball game. So, we are doing a fun little performance this Saturday. And, you know, I came into practice saying, you know, we're going to do a cute little five minute performance.
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And they looked at me like I was crazy and yet nobody ever said, you're crazy. Like, we're not doing this. And they were all like, okay, like, let's let's see what we could do. And, you know, we got halfway through it and I said, you know, five minutes might not be doable for this week. Let's not do 230.
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And, you know, the the relief on their face was honestly, it was so cute. But oh, it's just a oh thank God. But we are we're so grateful that, you know, they're taking a chance on me. And it was within having these conversations with them this year. It was a lot of just give it a try. Yeah, give it a try.
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You don't know until you try it. And I truly don't want to speak for them, but I think they are having a blast together. We we do lifting twice a week and then we're practicing twice a week. So they have their hands full, especially if they haven't and gotten had used to dance practices before. It's it's super great to see them just, you know, having fun and just letting loose.
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Just enjoy the process. It's you only get one chance to dance in college, so it's exciting. Oh that's fantastic. And so the competition part of it, for those of us who haven't seen a dance competition, tell us how that works. Yeah. So competitive dance is it's a crazy, confusing world to get to know. But I like to say I claim to be an expert because I have judged competitions.
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I have coached in every aspect of dance between competitive dance to all star dance, a high school dance, and now stepping foot in college dance as well. But competitive dance brings together athletes and teams to performed, perform choreographed routines in front of a panel of judges. Usually these panels will evaluate them based on the combination of technique, difficulty, execution, creativity, and then overall performance quality.
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So preparing for a competition is a long process, one that every coach knows starts with an end goal. A lot of grit, a lot of determination. And then athletes spending months training, learning choreography, refining those skills, to best, ensure success on the competition floor. And, you know, at competitions, routines are scored and structured with criteria designed to maintain, you know, fairness and accuracy.
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Judges are focusing on things like technical proficiency, synchronization artistry. And then DCMs is are ranked and awards are given at the local, regional and national levels. And you know, the dance industry started smaller and, you know, even when I was dancing, which I say that and it wasn't even that long ago, but it's changed so much already.
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Since then and, you know, now competitions are there's such a wide variety of competition structure here. So you have studio dance, which is traditional competition circuit where studios ten, you know, regional and national events to now you have the convention circuit where dancers are not only competing, but they're also taking classes from industry professionals, blending performance with training and networking opportunities.
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And then there's now the offer industry, which operates more like all third tier dancers are training with independent programs, which we are fortunate to have won, at my studio, the Iowa lead. So our dancers in Dubuque, in the surrounding areas, I have seen dancers from DeWitt, Davenport, other areas like that that are coming to us for that.
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You know, but there's several programs out there with that. And then, of course, you have the high school and collegiate competition world teams representing their schools at national and state championships. And, you know, each of them have their own unique demands and opportunities, but they all share the same goal to provide pathways for growth at every level.
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So it's important to continue showing dancers, you know, you can be part of multiple. And it's important that these dancers have them staying grounded in their studios because that's a great long term. That's what creates long term growth and versatility. And this balance between competitive performance and, outside training has been a big topic in the dance industry right now.
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And especially within these Division one, Division two programs, you know, they're saying to these kids, don't leave your studios, don't leave your studios behind, need that technical training. Very interesting. And then so when do the competitions start for you all. Yeah. So we are actually preparing for our, first couple events here. We're actually learning our choreography right now for state.
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And then we will do, like I said, a couple little drop in performances just to get the girls familiar with performing in front of a crowd. And then also we will be hopefully doing some local shows with our state performance. Around November time frame. The, I asked to state competition is December 4th through the sixth, in Des Moines.
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So that will be our big, competition event that we will attend. That's very cool. And then how many how many dances at a time year does your team have to memorize? So right now we have our performance routine and our state team. This year we are just doing Pom at state. To get a good, start up there.
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And then next year we will add a second and possible third routine for state. We will plan to begin a little bit sooner. This, coming season. For, our dances. So choreographers will be coming in. I choreographed our Palmer team this year. So next year it'll be a little bit more. But this year, we're just going to bring one routine to state.
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But they also have their, performance routine as well. Wow. That's a lot of memorization. So a lot of hours go into that. It does, it does. And it takes a lot of hours outside of practice as well. Just to hold these athletes accountable. And they are so great at, you know, keeping track of, you know, their videos and constantly just sharing, like, hey, making sure that you're not only doing your dance outside of it, but you also need to make sure you have your academic hours, in as well.
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And that's then a big piece of, as you know, a college coach holding these kids accountable. I can do that in high school, but there's not a check in where, you know, you need to hit your five hours every week. So, that's been a big part of our program as well. And the kids have done a great job.
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Yeah, but that is a big transition. To get to from a high school athlete to a college athlete is taking that one responsibility. And it's that one thing that, so does do dancers have any kind of superstitions or things that they do for every competition? You know, I would say, okay, it's actually kind of crazy because now that I think about, I was going to say no.
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And then now I'm thinking about it. I'm like, you know, my kids have these crazy handshakes, and they do these like they count to eight really, really fast and they'll shake their hands on them like one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. And then they'll, like, hit the floor or it's like with your hand, of course, but I'm like, you guys, this is weird.
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But I will tell you, the ones that do it, do it routinely and it works for them. And then you will have the other ones that have no routine and they're just like, yep, I'm ready to go. Here we go. So, you know, I think it kind of depends on the kid. Yeah, but there are some that do.
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But then there's several that are like, nope, I think we're just going to go with it. I think there's some that like, you know, baseball players will wear, you know, the same socks or, you know, they'll have to wear the same sleeve or, something specific. But I don't think dancers have as many crazy superstitions, but I'm sure there's some of them out there, maybe not as gross as some of the base price drops, maybe more like.
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That's right. Yeah. Well, coach, I want to thank you for your time and energy. We do want to drive people. If people want to learn more or have interest in being a dancer. At NICC, we do have a website that we can drive people to. Correct? Yes we do. And we also have, I have a recruitment form on our athletics page and I can let you can fill out that recruitment form and that will come directly to me and I will reach out to you.
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We can set up campus visits. I love bringing families to campus. Giving them a tour of, you know, what their life would look like at an ICC. We don't only want you, your student athletes, so we don't necessarily just want you to love cougar dance. We want you to love, and ICC as a whole, whether it's at the Kilmer campus or Piazza.
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We definitely want to get you on campus and have you experience what it would be like to have, yourself on NICC campus. That's great. I love chatting with you here this last half hour. Your your energy and it's contagious. And I can see why people get, so excited about dance. Because some of that just that teamwork and ability and dedication and confidence and fun.
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Big piece of it. So we can't see. We can't wait to see what's ahead for all of you this year. Yeah, yeah. Thank you. And thank you, everyone for listening to The Catalyst. We hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about NICC dance. Go, Cougars! Go, Cougars!
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Thanks for joining us on this episode of The Catalyst. If you enjoyed the conversation, make sure to follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Want to learn more about NICC and the many ways we support our students, partners, and community? Visit nicc.edu for more resources and upcoming opportunities. This podcast is produced by Northeast Iowa Community College and hosted by me, Amy Lasack, with executive producer Tessa Hill, producer Travis Hunt, and graphic designer Ashley Konzen.