From Center Grove to Center Stage
When Hannah Mueller volunteered to coach a student-led dance team at Center Grove High School, she dreamed of seeing her dancers featured at school sporting events, energizing fans and soaking up the buzz of a crowd. Sixteen years later, her legacy includes 10 dancers in the NFL, NBA and WNBA. Somewhere between poms and pirouettes, Center Grove started producing pros.
Small Beginnings, Big Vision
The CGHS dance program launched in 2007, led by students who wanted it badly enough to build it themselves. Two parent volunteers, Sherry Kennell and Lisa Siderewicz, made it possible. Mueller, who had trained some of these dancers outside of school, stepped in as a volunteer coach in 2010.
That first year, Mueller walked into the athletic director’s office and asked for more performance slots: football games, basketball games, real crowds. He agreed on a trial basis.
“Game on,” Mueller recalls. “I made sure every performance was jaw-dropping.”
It worked. Dancers became a staple of pregame, sideline and halftime entertainment.
That same year, Mueller entered three freshmen in the Indiana High School Dance Team Association circuit. They came home with a junior solo title and a small ensemble finalist finish.
“That put our program on the map. School administrators and other high school dance teams took notice,” Mueller says.
As the program grew, another shift came when Vanessa Oakes, Mueller’s own daughter, landed a spot as a cheerleader for the Indianapolis Colts in 2017. Just weeks later, Aria Hall was selected as an Indiana Pacers Pacemate. Watching two of their own turn pro reframed what was possible.
“Our dancers realized, ‘I could dance in college, or I could go pro,’” Mueller says. “The program evolved from there.”
Preparing Dancers for What’s Next
When Mueller retired in 2021, Hannah Sanders stepped in as head coach.
“I inherited a rock-solid foundation, and I’ve been intentional about preserving it,” Sanders says. “I’ve focused on growing the program and preparing our dancers for what comes next. We actively seek feedback from college and professional coaches to ensure our training aligns with what dancers will experience after high school.”
Those efforts are paying off: Every senior in the past two graduating classes has auditioned for a college or pro team.
“My goal is that when a college or professional program sees ‘Center Grove Dance’ on a résumé, it immediately represents a dancer who is not only technically prepared, but also disciplined, hardworking, and ready to contribute at the next level,” Sanders says.
The CG Dance Edge
Though no large-scale study exists, available data suggest that fewer than one in 2,000 U.S. dancers ever competes at the collegiate level, and only about 10% who pursue a professional career reach one.
Beating those odds takes more than technique. Morgan McLain, entering her third year as a cheerleader with the Indianapolis Colts, says reaching the pro level made her appreciate what CGHS has built.
“I didn’t realize at the time how much the program was preparing us. CG Dance gave me experience with pom and gameday styles that align more with collegiate and pro dance and cheer teams,” McLain says.
Mueller agrees.
“Our dancers stand out at collegiate and professional team auditions because they have so much gameday experience and can sell themselves a bit better. They’ve also been exposed to NFL and NBA dance coaches.”
For Brenna Emerson, a rookie with the Indiana Pacers Pacemates, that foundation was critical.
“CG Dance prepared me for much of what I experienced through auditions and my first year as a Pacemate,” Emerson says. “The expectations around coachability, performance quality, representing the organization well — none of it was new.”
An Open Door
Not every dancer arrives with years of training behind them.
“The dance team experience in a public school creates opportunities for kids who don’t have the funds for a private studio,” Mueller says. “I’ve had students who’d never taken a dance class performing alongside dancers who’d been training since they were 3.”
Myana Pace, who joins Indianapolis Colts Cheer next season, came late to dance.
“I have to give flowers to my CGHS dance coaches. They saw potential in a 14-year-old who had never trained in dance until high school. They contributed heavily to my success,” Pace says.
That access hasn’t come free. CG Dance receives no school funding and is classified among the school’s lowest-level clubs, operating outside both the athletic department and performing arts. The program has had to advocate for every practice space, resource and performance slot.
“We are grateful to the leaders and administrators who support us, and for every opportunity we’re given,” Sanders says.
From Legacy to Launchpad
The alumni pro roster is the headline, but a truer measure of the program may be who keeps coming back.
“Our alumni often return to coach, judge, choreograph, and give back to the program that helped shape them,” Mueller says.
Sanders involves alumni as often as she can because they offer what no coach can: lived experience — what prepared them, what challenged them, what they’d do differently. Three current assistant coaches are program graduates.
For dancers working toward a college or pro team, Myana’s advice is simple: “Keep your community close.”
Her own experience reflects that: five former teammates are on Indianapolis Colts Cheer alongside her, and one former CG Dance coach is now her coach again.
For Brenna, technique is just the entry point.
“At the pro level, you have to stand out and blend in at the same time. CG Dance taught us both — how to own the floor and perform with presence in a way that elevates the whole team.”
It’s the kind of foundation that has launched dozens of dancers onto bigger stages. In the time it took to write this article, two more alumni earned spots on pro teams.
CG Dance is just warming up.
