O’Connell represents MFL MarMac on All Iowa Honor Dance Team
Madison O’Connell, a senior on the MFL MarMac Bulldog Dance Team, performed with the 2026 All Iowa Honor Dance Team during the Iowa Girls High School Basketball State Tournament in Des Moines. O’Connell is the first Bulldog dancer to receive this honor.
By Kaitlyn Kuehl-Berns | Times-Register
High school dancers selected from across Iowa traveled to Des Moines last week for rehearsals and performances as part of the 2026 All Iowa Honor Dance Team. This year marks the 45th annual All Iowa Honor Dance Team, made up of 252 dancers from 96 schools and directed by Kathy Enyart.
Participants auditioned last August at Newton Middle School. Each Iowa high school dance team may send up to seven dancers to audition for the team. This past fall was the first time the MFL MarMac Bulldog Dance Team sent dancers, and senior Madison O’Connell made history as the first to represent the school as a member of the All Iowa Honor Dance Team.
The team performed at the Iowa High School Girls Basketball Tournament championship games. Ahead of the 5A game on Friday and the 4A game on Saturday, 50 dancers performed a patriotic salute to “America” and “Stars and Stripes Forever,” using cape props and flags representing the 50 states.
The halftime performance took place during the 5A championship game on Saturday, with 252 dancers filling the floor for a nearly seven-minute performance. This year’s routine had Latin influences, with dancers wearing pink and neon flowy tops, headpieces and matching poms.
Dancers are assigned to one of three groups: kick, pom or hip hop for the halftime performance. Madison O’Connell of the MFL MarMac Bulldog Dance Team performed in the hip hop group.
Coach Kelli Saxe commented on the efficiency of the process.
“From a coach’s perspective, it was a well-oiled machine. Everything was organized down to the minute,” she said.
“Having the opportunity to represent my team and my school was a huge honor,” O’Connell said. “My favorite moment was performing with dancers from across the state as one team and seeing the choreography and visuals come together.”
The formation, made up of 18 columns and 14 rows of dancers, wowed the crowd with creative visuals, ripples and components including the ‘All Iowa’ group lean back and pinwheel ripple.
Meeting dancers from other teams across the state was another highlight.
“It was fun meeting other talented dancers from across Iowa and sharing the experience with them,” O’Connell said. “It was such a great opportunity to meet new people and be able to represent my school and my team.”
Coach Saxe also reflected on the experience.
“It meant a lot to see MFL MarMac represented among so many talented dancers from across Iowa. I watched the girls push themselves outside their comfort zones, learning new choreography alongside strangers who quickly became friends,” Saxe said.
Tonya Moe, basketball director of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, addressed the team after their final rehearsal.
“People come for good basketball and they’ll get that, but they will also see impressive dance,” Moe said. “You all bring school spirit and energy that keeps the crowd engaged, which is just as important as anything that happens out on the basketball court. What you do helps make this tournament even more special.”
Coach Saxe said the experience has already sparked excitement within the MFL MarMac dance program, with younger dancers asking questions about how they can audition for the All Iowa Honor Dance Team in the future.
“I know that having a group of girls go through this process has encouraged other girls on our team to want to participate,” Saxe said.
Watching the final performance was especially meaningful.
“Seeing them all in uniform performing the routine together gave me chills. You could see how proud they were of what they had accomplished,” Saxe said.
The basketball championship games and performances were broadcast live on Iowa PBS. Recordings of the routines can be viewed on the All Iowa Dance Team YouTube channel or on the MFL MarMac Bulldog Dance Team’s Facebook page.
