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Albert Lea High School on Tuesday announced Jen Dalager will join as the competitive dance coach, bringing nearly two decades of elite coaching experience and an unwavering passion for empowering student-athletes through dance, according to a press release.

Dalager’s dance journey began at Monona Academy of Dance before her family moved to Austin, where she became a proud member of the Austin Packer Dance Team.

Since then, she has transformed her lifelong love for dance into a decorated coaching career that spans fall and winter competitive dance, freelance choreography and consulting across Minnesota. She most recently laid the foundation for a new dance studio in southeast Minnesota, continuing her legacy of nurturing dancers both technically and personally.

As a competitive dance team coach, Dalager has led teams in all three Minnesota State High School League competitive dance sections, earning conference and section titles, All-City Grand Champion honors, and multiple appearances at the state tournament. A respected leader in the dance community, she is a former board member and current proud member of the Minnesota Association of Dance Teams (MADT).

Her coaching philosophy centers on fusing love and dance to help student-athletes become their best selves both on and off the floor. Her focus on mentorship, discipline and team unity will be an incredible asset to the ALHS Dance Team.

But the excitement doesn’t stop there.

Dalager will run the high school dance program but will team up with Sophia Brownlee, the newly appointed summer and fall performance coach, to build a seamless, year-round dance experience for dancers. This duo combines competitive coaching excellence with Brownlee’s recent Division I collegiate dance experience and hometown roots.

Brownlee grew up dancing competitively for 14 years at Unlimited Possibilities Dance Studio, earning top accolades and building a reputation as a standout performer and mentor. She recently graduated from South Dakota State University with an Associate of Arts degree and coaching certification, and was a key contributor to the Division I SDSU Dance Team for two seasons.

During her time at SDSU, she helped lead the team to impressive national rankings, including a fifth-place Pom finish in 2024 and a fourth-place Pom finish in 2025 at the prestigious UDA Nationals, with Jazz routines placing in the Top 12 nationally both years.

In addition to her collegiate success, Brownlee co-choreographed and coached multiple routines at UPDS during the 2022–23 season, guiding dancers to Top 5 regional placements and even national finals appearances — demonstrating her knack for both creative choreography and technical instruction.

“I’m incredibly excited to return to my hometown and give back to the dance community that raised me,” Brownlee said. “Coaching allows me to combine my love for dance with mentoring, and I’m passionate about helping young dancers grow with confidence, technique and teamwork.”