Bio

Ashlee Keyes was named the head coach of the nationally-recognized MCC Dance Company in June 2019 after spending 2018-19 as assistant coach. During her year as the assistant director, Keyes helped lead the squad to its third consecutive NDA Jazz Division III National Championship, a third-place finish in NDA Hip Hop Division III, an ADTS Division III Jazz Collegiate National Championship and a first runner-up finish in ADTS Division III Hip Hop.

Keyes has kept the winning tradition alive since taking over the program. In her first season leading the squad, the team earned a gold-paid bid to the NDA National Championship and sophomore captains Emma Howard and Trinity Thomas earned All-American honors. The squad was in intense training for nationals with plans to compete in team dance and jazz when the pandemic forced NDA to cancel the competition.

Success continued in her second season, as the squad claimed the NDA Jazz Open Division National Championship, the program’s fourth consecutive title, and finished in second place in NDA Team Performance. At the ADTS Collegiate National Championships, the team won the national title in Division III Jazz and Division III Open while also being named Best Overall in Division III and first runner-up for the ADTS Academic Championship.

The third year as director has mostly certainly been the charm thus far. The team brought home its fifth consecutive NDA National Championship, this one in the Junior College Team Performance Division, marking the team’s first title in Team Performance category since 2011. They also finished fourth in the Junior College Jazz Division. For the first time, the team also competed in the Dance Team Union (DTU) College Classic in Orlando where they claimed a national championship in Open Team Performance and a second-place finish in Open Jazz. At ADTS, MCC Dance claimed national titles in Division III Jazz and Division III Open, and was named the Best Overall in Division III.

The 2022-23 squad continued to perform with excellence. The entire team performed with Spirit of America at the 96th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® in New York City in November before competition season began. In April, the team claimed its sixth consecutive NDA National Championship with a first-place finish 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 feature two NDA All-Americans.

2023-24 is off to a great start as well, with the squad winning a gold-paid bid at NDA Camp for the 2024 National Championship. McLennan 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.

Beyond her coaching experience, Keyes is no stranger to the MCC family. She was a member of the MCC squads that claimed back-to-back NDA National Championships in 2009 and 2010, and she was named an NDA All-American in 2010.

After the 2010 season, Keyes transferred to Sam Houston State University, where she was a three-year member of the Orange Pride Dance Team that earned three consecutive NDA National Championships. She was named the Orange Pride Rookie of the Year in 2012 and followed the award with two consecutive Veteran of the Year titles. She served as team captain in 2012-13.

Keyes returned to MCC after spending three years as a paralegal for Fernelius Simon, PLLC in Houston and a year serving as a choreographer for the HTE Dance Company. She earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Sam Houston in 2013 and a paralegal certificate from the University of Houston in 2014.

She and her husband, Kevin, have one son, Carter.

Coaching experience
2019-present: Director, MCC Dance Company
2018-19: Assistant director, MCC Dance Company

Education
2014: Paralegal certificate, University of Houston
2013: Bachelor’s in kinesiology, Sam Houston State University