Dexter Varsity Dance Team Wins National Title

By Katie Ramsburgh

The Dexter Varsity Dance Team (DHSDT) traveled to Orlando, Florida, February 4–9 to compete in the Dance Team Union High School National Competition. Sixty-two high schools from across the United States participated across the three dance styles in the Medium Varsity category in which Dexter competed.

On Friday, February 6, the team had one shot, no preliminaries and no semifinals, to compete in the Medium Varsity Game Day Spirit Showdown. DHSDT had already collected regional and state titles for this routine earlier in the season, but the national stage brought heightened pressure and elite competition. They were the last team to perform in the category Friday evening, following a lineup of talented and entertaining routines from high schools around the country.

And then they delivered.

As the kids say, the team “left no crumbs.” Their performance was clean, precise, and electric, with energy and entertainment value shining for judges and spectators alike. Their hometown supporters left their voices on the mat, cheering harder than ever. The result reflected the performance when DHSDT was named National Champion for the first time in team history.

The Dexter Dance Team has been performing as a club for 25 years and began competing around 2013. Head coach Morgan Dubey took over mid-season in 2022 and quickly elevated the program, leading the team to its first-ever national placement in any category. That year, Dexter earned fourth place in Small Varsity Game Day and never looked back. Over the last four years, the team has consistently placed in the top 10 nationally for both Game Day and Jazz.

This year, the team made history again, not only capturing its first national title but also advancing to finals in all three routines, Jazz, Pom, and Game Day.

Coach Morgan said, “Every year the goal is to be the best team that goes on the floor, so it feels really good to actually be recognized as such. This team has worked so hard, and it definitely shows with the product we put on the floor for all three of our routines.”

Coach Morgan has had tremendous support from her co-head coaches over the past four seasons. Coach Julia Acton worked with the team from 2022–25, and Coach Jena Davenport joined for the 2025–26 season. Both have contributed substantially to the program’s culture, performance quality, and competitive outcomes.

Adding to the accomplishments this season is the fact that the team welcomed seven rookies, only one of whom had previously competed at the national level. Those results don’t happen without strong leadership and an unwavering dedication to hard work from every athlete.

Finals included 20 teams that advanced from the preliminary and semifinal rounds, and Dexter placed 10th in Pom and 16th in Jazz. While the season is not quite over for this group, they delivered one unforgettable finale at Nationals.

The future looks bright for this young team, and for a community that showed up in full voice when it mattered most.

Photos by Morgan Dubey