Walk into a high school gym in Bloomington or Wayzata on a random Saturday in January, and you'll hear it before you see it. It’s a rhythmic, deafening roar. It isn't basketball. It’s the sound of hundreds of rhythmic high-kicks hitting the floor in perfect unison. If you’ve spent any time in the Midwest lately, you know that Minnesota dance team 2025 season isn't just a series of extracurricular performances; it is a full-blown cultural phenomenon that demands the kind of athletic respect usually reserved for Friday night football.
The level of athleticism is actually insane. Honestly, people who haven't seen a MSHSL (Minnesota State High School League) competition in person tend to think of "dance team" as something involving pom-poms and halftime smiles. They’re wrong. These athletes are pulling off quadruple pirouettes and sustaining cardio levels that would make a cross-country runner gasp for air, all while maintaining "face"—that intense, theatrical performance quality that is specific to the Minnesota style.
The Shift in the 2024-2025 Competitive Landscape
This year feels different. The 2024-2025 season has been defined by a massive shift in how teams approach choreography, especially in the Jazz and High Kick categories. For a long time, there was a very specific "Minnesota look"—super fast, very rigid, almost robotic. But lately? We're seeing more contemporary influence.
Teams like Edina and Eastview are leaning into storytelling that feels more like professional theater. It’s less about just hitting the beat and more about the "texture" of the movement. You’ve got teams experimenting with slower tempos in Jazz, which is actually riskier because there’s nowhere to hide a mistake. If one person’s finger is out of alignment in a slow-motion sequence, the judges see it instantly.
The High Kick category remains the crown jewel, though. It’s uniquely Minnesotan. While other states have drill teams or dance lines, the MSHSL High Kick requirements are brutal. We're talking about a minimum of 34-60 kicks depending on the routine length, and the height must be at least waist-level to even count. In 2025, the trend has been "visuals over velocity." Instead of just kicking as fast as humanly possible, coaches are layering patterns—circles, diagonals, and ripple effects—that look like a kaleidoscope from the top of the bleachers.
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Why the Minnesota Dance Team 2025 Season is Peak Competition
The pressure is real. To understand the Minnesota dance team 2025 energy, you have to look at the section tournaments. Minnesota is divided into Class A, AA, and AAA based on school size.
- Class AAA is where the "heavy hitters" usually live—Wayzata, Eastview, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, and Lakeville North. These programs have legacies that span decades.
- Class AA has become a total dogfight. Schools like Totino-Grace and Sartell-St. Stephen have narrowed the gap so much that the scores are often separated by tenths of a point.
- Class A proves that small-town Minnesota produces elite athletes. You’ll see schools with graduating classes of 80 people putting out Jazz routines that look like they belong in a New York City studio.
One major talking point this season has been the judging criteria. The MSHSL uses a specific rubric that scores "Difficulty," "Execution," and "Choreography." In 2025, there’s been a noticeable push for "Artistic Expression." It’s not enough to just be a robot. You have to make the judges feel something. If you aren't connecting with the back row of the auditorium, you aren't winning a state title.
The Mental Toll and the "Glitter and Grit" Reality
It’s not all sequins and trophies. The "Glitter and Grit" moniker is basically the unofficial slogan of the season. These kids are practicing 20+ hours a week. Many of them go straight from a grueling three-hour team practice to their private dance studios to work on technique. By the time the State Tournament at Target Center rolls around in February, most of these dancers are nursing shin splints, taped ankles, or sheer exhaustion.
There's also the social media element. In 2025, every invitational is filmed, clipped, and posted to TikTok and Instagram within minutes. This has created a weird "arms race" in choreography. If a team in Lakeville pulls off a cool new "jump-into-a-split" transition on Saturday, three other teams are trying to figure out how to one-up it by Monday. It keeps the sport evolving at a breakneck pace, but it adds a layer of scrutiny that previous generations didn't have to deal with.
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Training Secrets of the Elite Teams
How do they actually get that synchronized? It’s not magic. It’s "cleaning."
"Cleaning" a routine involves a coach sitting on a ladder or in the stands and watching one specific body part at a time. They might spend an entire two-hour practice just making sure everyone’s left pinky finger is tucked at the exact same angle during a transition. It is tedious. It is boring. It is the only way to win.
Many of the top programs have also started integrating cross-training that looks more like Olympic lifting than dance. Strength is the foundation of a high kick. If your hip flexors aren't strong enough to drive your leg up 50 times in three minutes, your technique will fail, and you'll get "fatigue penalties." You'll see teams doing HIIT workouts and heavy plyometrics to build the explosive power needed for those grand jetés.
The Uniform Evolution
Costumes in the Minnesota dance team 2025 circuit have moved away from the "costumey" look of the early 2000s. Now, it’s all about high-tech fabrics and "illusion" mesh. Custom-designed leotards can cost hundreds of dollars per dancer. These pieces are engineered to move with the body without riding up or shifting, because a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of a turn sequence isn't just embarrassing—it’s a deduction.
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Looking Ahead to the State Finals
The road to the Target Center is the ultimate goal. For those who aren't familiar, the MSHSL State Dance Team Tournament is one of the highest-attended high school sporting events in the state. It routinely outdraws some of the early rounds of the hockey tournament.
As we look at the rankings leading into the final stretch of the season, a few things are clear. The gap between the "top tier" and the "middle tier" is disappearing. This is good for the sport. It means anyone can be upset on any given Saturday. It also means the judges have an incredibly difficult job. When five teams all perform near-flawless routines, the decision often comes down to "who had more heart?" or "whose music choice felt more cohesive?"
Actionable Insights for Dancers and Fans
If you're following the season or involved in it, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the Feet: If you want to know who is going to win, stop looking at the faces and look at the feet. True elite teams have identical foot placement, even in the middle of complex transitions.
- Recovery is Non-Negotiable: With the intensity of the 2025 season, dancers should be prioritizing foam rolling and anti-inflammatory diets. The "push through the pain" mentality often leads to stress fractures that end seasons early.
- Focus on the "Back" Dancers: The strength of a Minnesota dance team isn't measured by the center-point dancer. It’s measured by the kid in the back corner. If they are just as sharp as the captain, that’s a championship-caliber squad.
- Embrace the Video Review: Use slow-motion playback to analyze your own performances. 2025 tech allows for side-by-side comparisons with top-ranked teams, which is a goldmine for self-correction.
The 2025 season is proving that Minnesota remains the gold standard for high school dance. Whether it's the sheer athleticism of the High Kick or the emotional depth of the Jazz routines, these athletes are redefining what it means to be a competitor in the North. It's high-stakes, high-energy, and honestly, a little bit exhausting just to watch—but that's exactly why we love it.