Welcome to the Dragon Community: Hillary Ehlen

Hillary Ehlen is Minnesota State’s newest head dance team coach. She trains dancers for performances and competitions.

Q: Where are you from?
A: I am originally from West Fargo.

Q: What about this new role piqued your interest?
A: I love the college dance world. I used to coach, and I always wanted to get back into the college dance scene. Then I heard about this role and went for it, because I had always heard great things about the Athletic department at Minnesota State Moorhead.

Q: What is one of your goals for the upcoming year for the team?
A: I would love to see our dancers break into the finals bracket this year at nationals. We have a lot of other goals that are the building blocks to that, like working on the dancers’ technique.

Q: What’s a personal goal you have for yourself?
A: I would like to grow the team, whether that’s by recruiting or making dancers around the Midwest more aware of the Dragon Dance Team and the opportunities that come with it. I believe that our team has a lot of untapped potential, and I’d like to make that known to dancers around the area.

Q: What are you excited about experiencing at MSUM?
A: I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the community so far. I didn’t go to Moorhead, but everyone has been welcoming and friendly, so it’s been a smooth transition.

Q: What is your favorite thing about the F-M area?
A: It feels a lot smaller than it is; growing up here I’ve been able to make many different connections. I feel like everyone knows each other which I love. It’s just been fun to see the areas’ opportunities grow over the years.

Q: If you could meet any athlete, who would you choose? 
A: I would choose Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman. I think that she is an amazing advocate for women’s sports. She’s a really cool person that I look up to and love to follow.

Welcome to the Dragon Community, Hillary!