Kansas Wesleyan Dance coach Claire Schmidt will serve as the interim cheer coach as a national search continues for a new cheer program coach according to KWU Athletic Director Miguel Paredes.

Schmidt has been the dance coach at KWU since March of 2021 and this spring led the Coyote dance team to a second place finish at the KCAC Championships and was named as the KCAC Competitive Dance Coach of the Year.

“We are appreciative of Claire stepping in to lead our cheer program in this period of transition,” Paredes said. “Her experience with the team provides a bit of stability for the team. She continues to work hard to help us build a strong, competitive team moving forward.”

She also served as interim cheer coach at the KCAC championships this spring helping the team to a sixth place finish.

Schmidt has had life-long involvement in dance, dancing since the age of three and competing since the age of four and has trained extensively in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, and contemporary dance. Claire has been choreographing for dance teams since the age of 13 and has won awards for her work. She also has recently started choreographing for musicals as well.

She studied Dance at Wichita State University where she was a member of the Shocker Dance Team. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Kansas Wesleyan in fall of 2020 in Gender Studies.

Claire is an instructor and choreographer at Revolution School of Dance and the Salina Community Theatre. Claire also works for Varsity Spirit as a dance company member of the Universal Dance Association.