If Concordia University, Nebraska Competitive Dance realizes its dream of qualifying for the NAIA National Championships, it will be because of people like Taylor Larsen. A marketing and business student, Larsen has helped put the program on the map in terms of national relevancy.
Head Coach Mandi Maser has seen Larsen’s growth firsthand. Larsen is no longer that shy freshman. She’s a team captain and a leader.
“She is one of the hardest-working and most committed dancers I’ve had the privilege to coach, and she never seeks recognition for it,” Maser said. “I am incredibly impressed not only by Taylor, but by the way she and her teammates have continued to raise the standard of our program year after year. What she has helped build here at Concordia University, Nebraska goes far beyond dance, and I have no doubt she will carry those lessons, values and leadership with her into life long after this chapter.”
In so many ways, Larsen is like a coach’s dream. She excels on the dance floor while exhibiting her talent and refined skills in obvious ways. Outside of competition, Larsen achieves high marks in the classroom and has earned the respect of teammates as a leader and friend. Over four years, Larsen has developed a particularly close relationship with Elise O’Neill, a fellow senior captain. Since the arrival of Larsen and O’Neill, Concordia’s average competition scores have skyrocketed. Individually, Larsen has earned All-America honors in back-to-back years (2024 and 2025), making her the first in program history to accomplish that feat.
The expectation is for Larsen to make it three years in a row later this winter, but that’s not what she’s focused on at this very moment in the middle of the 2026 competition season. It’s her final college semester, and Larsen really just wants to soak up the practices, the road trips and the laughs shared with her teammates. Larsen has thoroughly enjoyed her entire Concordia Experience, a sentiment made clear in season preview interviews conducted prior to both the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
“I would say each year gets better and better,” Larsen said. “Our team dynamic is something I really don’t think I would find anywhere else. It’s been really amazing. Reflecting back from freshman year until now, I’ve had the opportunity to dance with so many awesome people. It’s just been wonderful. I really don’t know how else to describe it.”
Some of the team highlights from a performance perspective over Larsen’s career have included a CIT championship in 2023, top 10 national scoring averages in 2024 and 2025 and a school record score of 87.7 at the recent Coyote Classic hosted by Kansas Wesleyan. In the year prior to Larsen attending Concordia, the Bulldogs averaged a score of 66.05. In Larsen’s freshman season, Concordia made a monumental leap to an 81.97 average – and it has hovered above 80 ever since.
In order to become an All-American, Larsen has put forth extra work individually, in addition to team practices. Recognition for all-conference and All-America honors is based upon individual auditions that occur outside of team competitions. For Larsen and her teammates, the real work is done behind the scenes when no one is looking, other than those inside the program. Larsen exhibited a passion for the sport from a youthful age.
“Dance is a sport that maybe not a lot of people understand or really know what goes into it,” Larsen said. “Being able to take that on is a challenge. I like that it’s something I can do every day that puts a smile on my face, and it’s a different way to work out and exercise.”
Larsen began honing her skills as a youngster when she became immersed in both dance and gymnastics. In high school, Larsen also competed in track for four years and both golf and cheer for three years. Naturally, Larsen was a three-year captain of the dance team at Ravenna Senior High School. Ravenna, Neb., a town of roughly 1,400 people, served as the backdrop for Larsen’s upbringing.
In other words, the accolades – which include GPAC All-Conference, Academic All-District (College Sports Communicators) and NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition – have been years in the making. Larsen prefers to frame the honors within a team context.
“It felt really good,” said Larsen of being named an All-American for the second time. “I feel like it was the culmination of a lot of hard work, not just for me as an individual, but as a team as well. My team pushes me to be better. I can’t give myself all the credit. I would give most of the credit to my team for that. They push me every day.”
The team and culture of Concordia were exactly what Larsen wanted when she began vetting potential colleges in the recruiting process. Larsen doesn’t need much prodding when discussing what makes Concordia special to her. The vibes she felt from the campus on her recruiting visit were all she needed. She knew that day what school was right for her.
As Larsen recalled, “I looked at Concordia starting my sophomore year of high school. I took a tour my senior year, and after touring here, I knew there was nowhere else I wanted to be. I love the small school environment, I love the Christ-centered education, and I love that it’s brought me some of my best friends on the dance team.”
Larsen’s fondness for Concordia and its people extends to the business department, where she has logged plenty of hours as part of her academic career. Larsen is active in the Business Club on campus and is featured prominently on the @cunebusiness Instagram page. She’s also served as a manager at 10:31 Coffee in the Janzow Campus Center. As she says, “Those are things I don’t think I would have gotten a chance to do anywhere else. I’m super grateful that Concordia has given me the opportunities that I’ve gotten.”
Upon graduation, Larsen believes that her next move will be to relocate to Lincoln for a job yet to be determined. Another aspect of her life is already figured out. Larsen’s wedding date is set for later this year. Until then, she’ll soak up her remaining days as a college student-athlete while listening to Zach Bryan (the singer she would choose to play at Bulldog Stadium) and solving puzzles (as of January, she was working on a 1,500-piece puzzle).
Before this chapter of her life concludes, Larsen would be thrilled for the chance to spend late March in Topeka, Kan., site of the 2026 NAIA Competitive Cheer & Dance National Championships. Larsen and her teammates can’t help but dream about such an attainment, one that feels more realistic than ever as Concordia continues raising its game. In effort to achieve that goal, Larsen promises to stay vigilant in her role as a team captain.
“It means holding myself accountable and also holding my teammates accountable, whether that’s in the weight room or at practice,” Larsen said. “It’s about making sure we’re all working towards the same goal. We want to go to nationals. We want to break that barrier. It’s a lot of accountability and making sure everyone’s in a good headspace to achieve those goals we’ve set for ourselves.”
Accountability is also part of the deal for Coach Maser, who ‘must’ wear some type of animal print clothing on the day of competitions. Her athletes won’t let her slip by any other way, as Larsen points out with a laugh.
Maser is happy to oblige, especially in return for the type of dedication displayed by Larsen and her teammates. As Maser said, “Taylor is the kind of dancer and person every coach hopes to have in their program. From the moment she arrived as a quiet, shy freshman, she showed humility and a willingness to work, and each year she grew more confident, more grounded and more powerful as a leader. Taylor leads by example in everything she does, through her work ethic, her dedication and her strong faith.”
Wherever this journey ends, Larsen is likely to hold onto these Concordia memories, which will continue to be forged through May. As she said prior to the start of this competition season, “I’m looking forward to spending this last season with my teammates and making memories. No matter how it ends up, I’m happy to be able to spend the next couple of months with my team.”