Kelly returns to dance
Kayla Kelly of Guttenberg, who recently joined the Titan Dolls dance team for the Cedar Rapids Titans indoor football franchise, poses with a young fan during the meet and greet tailgate kick-off ahead of the first home game on Feb. 15.
By Kaitlyn Kuehl-Berns | Times-Register
Kayla Kelly took the field at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse for the first time this season as a member of the Titan Dolls, the official dance team for the Cedar Rapids Titans professional indoor football franchise. Recently rebranded from the RiverKings football and dance teams, the Titan Dolls perform at games through pregame, halftime and sideline routines. Off the field, they serve as ambassadors for the team with meet and greets, performances and appearances at local events.
Kelly shared she is excited to be dancing again.
The 2021 graduate of Clayton Ridge High School did gymnastics as a child, was a member of the Clayton Ridge Drill Team and later danced on the Upper Iowa University Dance Team.
“I didn’t really start out dancing. Since there’s not a lot of studios locally, I started out as a gymnast until I had to stop due to injuries and being busy with other sports,” Kelly said. “I did the youth Stretch-n-Strut clinic with the drill team every year and still have all my awards.”
When she entered high school, she tried out for the Clayton Ridge Drill Team and was a member all four years, serving as captain her senior year.
“It was interesting because of COVID. I ended up having to teach state choreography by myself because the other leaders were quarantined,” she said. “It was kind of stressful because I had to be the only one the team relied on.”
Kelly was also a member of the All Iowa Honor Dance Team, which recognizes top high school dancers across the state, both her junior and senior years. Her high school years were a successful era for the Clayton Ridge Drill Team, as they received four state championships in the prop category, one in military and top academic awards.
After graduating high school, the coach of the dance team at Upper Iowa University reached out to Kelly, which prompted her to visit and apply. She ultimately joined the Peacock dance team and competed for three seasons at both the Iowa State Dance Contest and College Classic in Florida twice.
At her first collegiate appearance at the Iowa State Dance Contest, Kelly’s team found success despite needing to bring in additional cheerleaders to participate.
“We needed to have five girls to dance, so we luckily got some cheer girls to come over and help us out,” Kelly explained.
For the competition, they brought only a jazz routine. Because their members didn’t have the same studio training as other teams, the routine lacked some of the technical complexity seen in their division. Despite that, the team surpassed its own expectations.
“We thought we were going to get third, but after third was announced and it wasn’t us, we figured we just didn’t place. But we actually got second,” Kelly remembered. “In the critiques, the judges noted that, while our routine was less complex, it was more clean than the other routines.”
Kelly graduated Summa Cum Laude from Upper Iowa in 2024. She received team awards, including Dancer of the Year and Veteran of the Year. She was consistently on the dean’s list and a three-time member of the president’s team, made up of the athletes with the highest GPA on each sport team. She was also in consideration for the University Awards Female Scholar Athlete and Miss Peacock honors.
It was during her college years that Kelly first learned of the Titan Dolls. Her coach previously danced for the team and encouraged her to audition. Although she was selected, she chose not to participate at the time so she could focus on college choreography and academics.
Following graduation, she worked for the university before applying to graduate assistant programs. In spring 2025, Kelly was accepted into the University of Cincinnati’s sports administration graduate program.
“I didn’t even realize there was an opportunity to do something like that remotely,” she said. “But it turned out to be really great and is opening up opportunities I’m really excited about.”
Between a five-course graduate load and teaching assistant responsibilities, Kelly finds time to learn routines, practice at home, attend rehearsals and perform with the Titan Dolls.
“I am the first point of contact for 200 to 300 students,” she said. “I spend up to 20 hours per week helping with research projects, grading assignments or helping students with whatever they need. I have to stay available from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.”
The projects she has contributed to through collecting student, coach and academic advisor contact information at Power Conference schools focus on gambling in sports and student perspectives on NIL.
Kelly praised the professors she serves as an assistant for.
“They reviewed my resume, looked over my cover letters, wrote letters of recommendation and reached out to their peers to help me with applying for different fellowships and positions,” she said.
Last November, the new coach of the Titan Dolls reached out to gauge her interest in joining the team. Kelly was hesitant because she was unsure of the time commitment and fuel expenses required for travel. After being assured accommodations could be made and that her education would remain the priority, she decided to take the leap.
“I have really enjoyed it. It’s been fun to get out of the house, meet new friends and challenge myself,” Kelly said. “We’ve learned over a dozen routines and I have to do double pirouettes, lifts, splits, jumps, toe touches, aerials and dance in heels for some routines.”
In addition to pregame, halftime and sideline performances, the Titan Dolls make community appearances and have served as backup dancers for Cedar Rapids-based rapper Tone Da Boss.
“They’re a talented group of girls with a lot of experience and teamwork and communication skills,” Kelly said. “It feels like a sisterhood again, just like in high school or college. They have all been really good mentors and very supportive of my transition back into dance.”
While her future career path may take her in a different direction, Kelly is grateful for the opportunity to dance this season.
“It’s really nice to dance with a group of girls again. I didn’t think I was going to get to, and it’s been a lot of fun,” she said.
Remaining regular season home games are March 20, April 11, April 27 and May 3, with playoffs to follow. Titan Dolls members sell tickets at a discounted rate. Businesses interested in sponsoring the team can contact kendal@crtitans.com.
