Let’s Dance – Mahr continues love for sport of lifetime

Morningside University junior Madison Mahr subscribes to country music star John Michael Montgomery's life theory. 

"Life's a dance -- you learn as you go" is a line from one of his most famous songs.

Although her path to the world of competitive dance started later than others, the Sioux City native wouldn't have wished for a different outcome --- learning at every turn.

"I tried every sport before dance," she reflected. "It was the one that stuck. I'd been around athletics in my family as my sister played volleyball. We both wound up competing for Morningside, as Melanie did so in volleyball." 

She pointed out the main reason for her love of the sport is that it never stays the same. 

"It's ever-changing, which is cool," Mahr admitted. "It's not like other sports that have one main goal and outcome." 

"In dance, there are so many options you can choose towards success," she added.

Mahr has seen that first hand and not just in the changing routines over her competitive career that take knowledge of so many disciplines. "I coach, too," she noted. "Oh my gosh, as I see some of my students perform, I think my body, at their age, which is much younger than I started, doing something like that wouldn't be possible. It just shows the progressions the sport has and is making. You are never going to be perfect. There are always new and tougher skills available."

The junior has improved her coaching abilities due to what she sees from her being part of the Great Plains Athletic Conference powerhouse Mustangs.

"Being with this program the last three years is amazing," she said. "The ability to continue to dance in college has been a dream come true. Not everyone has the opportunity to do something they love at this level. Much of that is due to (Head) Coach (Alisha) Knowler.

"What she does for this program doesn't end with preparation for and in-competition work," she added. "This year is a great example. It's something different with the team regarding how we act in competition, practice, and on campus. It's a special group, as you can tell that we will do well just due to the connection among all of us. We aren't just teammates --- we are friends, being so supportive and feeding off the energy off each other. A lot of that begins with Coach and how she works with us."

Even three days of intense work preparing for the 2022 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics doesn't deter Mahr and her teammates from stepping up for the next workout.

"It's nice to have spring break from classes and just be able to focus on dance," she said. "Our choreographer came back recently and made a bunch of changes. We've been working to clean up a bunch of stuff to be ready." 

"We're coming in prepared and not having the stage we're on overwhelm us," she added. "We have seen about 90 percent of the teams we're competing against from previous competitions or on video, so we feel good about what could lie ahead."

Mahr's confident tone doesn't end with being a member of three conference champion teams. It goes beyond with another opportunity where her life allowed her to dance.

"I've been able to be part of an all-star club team at a studio which other team members have performed with," she said. "We've competed at world championship events and won them. It allows me to continue being part of a team environment even when I'm not at Morningside."

Mahr admitted when her collegiate dance career is over; she won't be ready to end her association with the sport of her lifetime. 

"I'm even doing work within my marketing major in dance," she said. "I'm running social media for Morningside's team and during my coaching work at Sioux City West High School. I just want to remain connected with dance as much as I can."