Susan Wagner hugs her daughter Ellie before a dance competition. Credit: Courtesy of Ellie Wagner
Growing up, sisters Ellie and Ava Wagner were inseparable, choreographing routines in their living room and celebrating each other’s triumphs at regional dance competitions.
Now, as rivals on two of the nation’s biggest college dance teams — Ellie Wagner with Ohio State and Ava Wagner with the University of Minnesota — they’ve found themselves on opposite sides of the stage, but never on opposite sides of their bond.
This year, Ellie Wagner’s team added another national title to Ohio State’s legacy, taking home first place in the jazz category at the Jan. 17-19 Universal Dance Association’s Collegiate Nationals in Orlando, Florida. The Buckeyes’ spirit program also captured gold in the gameday division. Meanwhile, Ava Wagner’s University of Minnesota dance team showcased its talent by securing the national championship in the pom category.
Ellie Wagner holds up the championship trophy on stage. Credit: Courtesy of Ellie Wagner
Despite the competitive nature of their respective schools, the sisters said their mutual respect and admiration for one another remains unwavering.
For their parents, Susan and Cory Wagner, the duo’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.
“Dance has made them very close,” Susan Wagner said. “Obviously, it’s something they share a passion for, and not only that, but they’ve spent so much time growing up dancing — literally all through grade school, junior high and high school.”
Susan Wagner said her daughters’ story isn’t just about fierce sibling competition or Ohio State’s national championship victories; it’s about a family that’s lived for dance and the underappreciated athletes who elevate the sport with every pirouette and leap.
That said, dance has always been a family affair for the Wagners.
“They come from a dance family,” Susan Wagner said. “Their grandma owns Larkin Dance Studio in Minnesota, and they both had been exposed to the studio and dancing since they were pretty much born. Automatically, it was something we noticed was in their blood, and they had a passion for it. They never loved anything more than they loved dance.”
For Ava Wagner, a second-year undecided major at the University of Minnesota, dance has become a natural part of her life thanks to her older sister.
“Ever since I was a little kid, she’s the reason I started to dance,” Ava Wagner said. “She has pushed me to be the dancer that I am today.”
The Wagner family poses with their medals after the UDA national championship award ceremony concluded. Credit: Courtesy of Ellie Wagner
Ellie Wagner, a fourth-year in strategic communication at Ohio State, said she and Ava’s bond was tested and strengthened in 2019 when the sisters competed on “World of Dance,” NBC’s reality competition show. Dancing as a duo, the sisters wowed audiences with their precision and artistry, finishing in third place.
“I think that experience showed us how big our dreams can be,” Ellie Wagner said. “We are from a small town in Minnesota. We didn’t realize something like that was possible. Obviously, dance was our life, but we didn’t know we could go and do something like that with our talent. We lived in California for two months, and realized the power we had with each other and grew really close.”
Cory Wagner said he shared a similar sense of awe as he watched his daughters defy expectations on a national stage.
“When you go to ‘World of Dance’ with your kid, you know your kids are good,” Cory Wagner said. “When you get there, you just expect them to go one round maybe and probably go home. I’ll be happy; they’ll be happy. Then, all of a sudden, they kept winning, and we were back week after week.”
For the first time, Ellie and Ava Wagner competed on the same stage. Credit: Courtesy of Susan Wagner
Ava Wagner said participating in “World of Dance” also helped prepare her for the demands of collegiate dance.
“It’s the anticipation,” Ava Wagner said. “College dance reminded me a lot of being in front of one of the biggest crowds at ‘World of Dance.’ You have to watch all of your competitors and just be ready to go up there.”
In addition, Ellie Wagner said “World of Dance” gave the sisters a taste of performing in the public eye, yet that was only the beginning of their journey. She said that college dance brought new challenges and opportunities, blending their lifelong passion with the intense demands of competing at the highest collegiate level.
“Being able to compete against each other now is an awesome thing,” Ellie Wagner said. “I think it shows that we each went our own paths and did what was best for us. It led us in different directions, but we got to share our talents with both. It’s been an awesome thing to experience together, but, like, not together.”
Susan Wagner said dancing on different teams has only strengthened her daughters’ relationship.
“For the first time in both of their lives, they had different identities versus the shared identity of Ellie and Ava,” Susan Wagner said. “They found their groups of people. They don’t let it bother them that they are on opposing teams. It’s a friendly competition. They make each other better.”
The Ohio State dance team poses with their trophy after taking home first place in the D1A jazz category at the Universal Dance Association’s Collegiate Nationals in Orlando, Florida. Credit: Courtesy of Ellie Wagner
Both Susan and Cory Wagner said that being parents of daughters on rival teams has presented distinct challenges. Susan Wagner said beyond the joy that accompanies watching their daughters excel, navigating the logistics of supporting two collegiate dance programs has certainly been a balancing act.
“It’s just not possible to do 100% of everything for both,” Susan Wagner said. “It’s about figuring out how we’re there for both of them on their game days, and at competitions and for their teams. The other part is just a huge sense of pride and honor because they’re on two teams that are the best in the nation, so it’s a huge privilege to be able to watch their teams and see their success.”
Ellie and Ava Wagner said they recognize the effort their parents make to be present for both of them, which often means rushing between events to cheer them on.
“They actually run back and forth to every arena to be front row for both Ellie and I,” Ava Wagner said.
Ellie Wagner agreed.
Ellie Wagner and her teammates pose for a photo in costume before taking the stage. Credit: Courtesy of Ellie Wagner
“They love it; they love the publicity around this, and I’m really happy for them,” Ellie Wagner said. “My sister and I have been doing this for almost 20 years now, and I think they deserve the same amount of love that we get.”
As the college dance landscape reaches new heights — especially as more people share different schools’ routines on TikTok and other social media platforms — Ellie and Ava Wagner said their dance journeys have experienced a significant surge of visibility.
Since sharing their performances and behind-the-scenes moments online, the pair said they’ve garnered a growing fanbase that appreciates not just their talent, but also their personal story.
“We happen to be on a stage dancing for two minutes, and the whole world gets to watch, which is amazing,” Ellie Wagner said. “I love how much the dance team has grown. I love how much recognition it’s starting to get, but obviously, there are some cons to it when everyone has an opinion.”
Ava Wagner said she has likewise embraced this attention, but still does her best to remain grounded.
“I didn’t look at the comments or social media until after finals because it’s such a distraction, and so many people have their opinions,” Ava Wagner said. “To be honest, when I was looking back on them, a lot of people had nothing but love to say for the U of M, which is awesome to see because of how much hard work we put into it.”
Though the Wagner sisters said they’ve largely embraced the spotlight, they still feel college dance remains underappreciated, despite its TikTok-driven rise. For Susan Wagner, her daughters’ success highlights the need to acknowledge these performers’ dedication.
Susan and Cory Wagner show off their custom-made “Ellie+Ava” shirts to support their daughters competing on rival teams. Credit: Courtesy of Ellie Wagner
“Dance team is not an NCAA-sanctioned sport, so they don’t get recognized in the same way that other university athletes do,” Susan Wagner said. “Make no mistake that these artists really are athletes; they’re artists and athletes. We would love to see them get the recognition they deserve.”
As Ellie Wagner nears her graduation in the spring, she said she is looking ahead to life after Ohio State. Though she remains unsure of her exact path, she’s focused on growing as a dancer and exploring opportunities in the professional dance world.
“I will probably travel this summer teaching [dance],” Ellie Wagner said. “I love to travel. My sister and I eventually want to own Larkin Dance Studio. We’re next in line. At the moment, I know I want to keep dance in my life.”
As Ellie Wagner departs from the collegiate dance world, she wants to leave a lasting impact that extends beyond choreography on stage.
“We want to be known as people who have good hearts, obviously good dancers, but good people first,” Ellie Wagner said. “You have to be an amazing human before you’re an amazing dancer, and I think that’s the legacy we want to leave.”
