Emma Howard

Bio

Emma Howard is entering her first year as head coach of the McLennan Dance Team after spending three years as an assistant coach for the squad.

Howard joined the program in 2022 as a volunteer assistant. In her first season the team claimed its sixth consecutive NDA National Championship with a first-place finish in Jazz Open along with a fourth-place trophy in Team Performance Open. The squad also claimed two ADTS National Championships in Junior College Jazz and Junior College Open, and was named Best Overall Junior College. The squad featured two NDA All-Americans, and the entire team performed with Spirit of America at the 96th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® in New York City.

In 2023-24, Howard was promoted to a full-time assistant. That year, the squad secured a gold-paid bid at NDA Camp and was one of only three squads out of the 16 teams at camp to earn a gold bid. The squad also received first place in their team dance and game day performances, and three dancers were named NDA All-Americans. At UDA Camp, the six members in attendance received superior awards in game day and performance along with the Collegiate Recognition Award voted on by the other teams. The team began the spring competition season with first-place finishes in Jazz and Hip Hop at ADTS, and was named the Best Overall Junior College. The squad went on to claim its seventh NDA National Championship with a first-place finish in Junior College Hip Hop and finished second in Junior College Jazz.

Program history was made with the 2024-25 team. The year started with exceptional performances at NDA Camp. The squad claimed a silver-paid bid to nationals and received first place in team dance and game day performances with two dancers earning NDA All-American honors. At ADTS, the team won Team Performance Open Division championship and finished as the Second Runner-up in Jazz. The team etched their name in program history in Daytona Beach at NDA, becoming the first MCC team to claim two NDA National Championships in the same year with first place in both Team Performance and Jazz in the Junior College Division.

Howard was a two-year member of the McLennan Dance Team from 2018-20. During her freshman year, the squad claimed the program’s third consecutive NDA Jazz Division III National Championship, finished third in NDA Hip Hop Division III, claimed the ADTS Collegiate National Championship in Division III Jazz and finished as the first runner-up in ADTS Division III Hip Hop. She served as team captain for the 2019-20 season and earned NDA All-American honors before the competition season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following her time at McLennan, Howard joined the Stephen F. Austin State University Dance Team and her success continued. The team won the NDA Division I Pom National Championship her junior season. As a senior, Howard became a team captain, leading the squad to an NDA Division I Spirit Rally national title and two national titles at the Dance Team Union College Classic in Division I Pom and Division I Hip Hop.

Howard received a bachelor’s degree of business administration in accounting with a minor in dance team coaching from SFA in May 2022, and a master’s degree in coaching and athletics administration from Concordia University in Dec. 2023.

She is the daughter of Jennifer and Keith Howard, and has one brother, Will, and one sister, Zoe.

Coaching experience
2023-present: Assistant coach, McLennan Dance Team

2022-23: Volunteer assistant coach, McLennan Dance Team

Education

2023: Master’s of Coaching and Sports Administration, Concordia University

2022: Bachelor’s of business administration in accounting with a minor in dance team coaching, Stephen F. Austin State University

2020: Associate’s degree, McLennan Community College